The deserting Red lotus
by Femke-the-lotus
Summary: In the series they said they tried to break the members of the Red lotus time after time and always failed, but what if they had succeeded to break P'li, with the help of the legendary villages in the woods? What would become of the red lotus without the combustion bender? and will P'li be able to get used to this new life? DISCLAIMER I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!
1. the legend of the villages in the woods

Chapter 1: the first visit

**unown POV**

a girl with long brown hairs was shooting threw the trees towards the north pole. The leader of the tribe had asked for her help for some reason. She didn't knew were it could be for, but she knew for sure that this would be one long day.

_"I sure hope their not going to waste my time with some old story, because i'm not standing in for myself if they do"_

The girl thought as she changed into regular water tribe clothing behind a rock near the royal palace. She knew they probably weren't expecting someone from their own tribe, but she had to wear normal clothes when she had to go into public. The order were she came from had asked that from her since their socity had to stay hidden, at all cost. No one could ever know the hidden villages in the woods truly excisted, since all sorts of criminals lived in these villages. They changed their ways and became good again somehow, and now they lived in harmony with mother nature in the woods.

_"I do wonder how chief Unalag found out the villages in the woods excisted..."_

The girl thought while entering the royal palace, asking some guards the way towards the trone room. They looked at her with a stunned look first, but when they saw her invatation they let her enter the palace.

"Chief Unalag is already expecting you in the trone room, down the hall, then too the right, just follow the boards"

The man said as he pointed in the right direction with his hand. I nodded and followed the boards towards a big double door with the logo of the water tribes in it, together with some flowers and other stuff. As soon as she stood before the doors, they automaticly opened before the girl, and the girl could see a older man with long dark brown hairs in a long water tribe cloth sitting on a trone together with a woman also with brown hairs, wearing a regular water tribe dress and 2 simmiliar looking young kids between them.

_"I guess they must be his childeren, and then the man must be chief Unalag"_

The girl thought as she bowed before them before she looked at the other man in the room. There was a very old looking man with beard and a very scary looking scar at his right eye, a man with a ponytail also wearing water tribe clothes and a older woman with 2 ponytails before her face.

"good your here, People, this girl is going to help us with our resent...problem..."

He said as he got up and walked over to me. They all looked at the girl now with a strange look in their eyes. They must have heard the legends about the villages in the woods, but... but maybe their not sure a mere kid can help them fix their resent.. problem... whatever that problem might be...

"You can help me with my problem...right kid?"

The man with the two ponytails asked now as he came closer to me with a stern look on his face.

"I will do whatever it takes to help you your... your higness... so tell me... what exacly is your problem?"

I asked a bit unsure now. The man pulled his arm around me and lead me into another room from wich we could look out over the frozen taundra behind the kingdom.

"there it is.. far far in the frozen taundra... there we made a special prison for a firebender with a very... unike power.."

He started his story with a stern look. The girl looked at him with widen eyes now. She knew there were many special benders in the world with uniek powers, ore so she heard from other woodvillagers, but she never knew the stories they heard within their tribe were real.

"Her name is P'li and she is a combustion bender, wich means she can bend fire with her mind!"

The older man with the one ponytail on his head said as he made a strange looking face at the girl. She nodded looking at the taundra with a stern look.

"We tried to break down her and the other 3 criminals in order to find out were they were up to, but until now we failed in every way, even within prisons specially build to lock away their special abillity, their more stubborn then Firelord Ozai..."

The boy now joked looking at the man with the scar with a very happy look on his face. The man didn't looked back and gave a sign, while the older woman looked at the man with a grin.

"Sokka, don't tease Zuko like that, you know he doesn't likes it when you mention his father... do he was crazy indeed"

The woman said grinning at the man who they just called Zuko with a wide grin. Zuko looked at her with a stern look then looked down in defeat.

"Thanks katara, that really made me feel better"

He said with an ironic voice. The girl grinned to herself when she heard that, they seemed to be very nice, and she really liked being with them already.

"So, you need my help to break them ore..."

The girl now asked with a stern look. They all looked at her at once and nodded now.

"we want to know what these criminals were up to and mostly; **WHAT** they wanted to do with the avatar **IF **they had managed to capture her"

The woman named Katara now said with a stern look at the girl, who now gulped and nodded.

"I will try whatever I can, but I can't promise I will be able to break her"

The girl says a bit unsure. The older Katara looked at me with a kind smile.

"That's good... eeeehm"

Katara said as she looked at the girl with a unsure look. Al this time they hadn't thought of asking her name.

"Femke,.. my name is Femke..."

Femke said as the group decended from the big stairs in front of royal palace that brought them to a big jeep that would bring them to the secret prison were P'li was held. Only Zuko didn't jumped into the jeep. He got onto the back of a enormous dragon that flied out before them the whole trip. During this trip everyone was silent, no one was in the mood to talk while their driver sped up their car towards the prison...

**Femke's POV **

_"I hope we arrive soon, because i start to get a icy butt"_

I thought as I looked out before me. There was absolutely nothing to see here, everything around me was white and bleak looking, no trees, no life.

_"well, maybe a lost Lion turtle, but for the rest I don't think match more life is possible in this big freezer"_

I thought grinning as I remembered the taled about avatar aang who met one of these enormous creatures a few hours before his final battle with firelord Ozai, and how he learned a way to defeat the firelord without having to take his life, because everyone knows by now how match avatar Aang had been against that...

"were here..."

The solem voice of the older woman katara said as they all got out of the jeep. I looked around me and saw there now was a big building in front of me, but in my eyes it didn't looked big enought to hold at least 1 prisoner.

"is this it... it looks a bit... small..."

I solemly said as I looked at the people I had been traveling with. The chief looked at me with a stern look before he entered a code in the door and led us into the building, were it was suprisingly warmer then outside of the building. I wanted to take of my suit, but Zuko stopped me and pointed over the railing towards a small prison in the center of a enormous ice-pit.

"that is were we hold P'li... it's so cold down there that no one is able to firebend down there... that's were you need to go... alone... if she sees us she sure will attack you as well, thinking your one of us..."

He said as he brought me to the elavator wich would lead me down to the center of the pit. I nodded and looked at them with a kind smile.

"Good luck Femke... were counting on you..."

Zuko said as he pushed a button and quickly got out of the elavator himself. I nodded and the door closed before me, taking the group out of my sight. I sighted and closed my eyes, mentaly making myself ready to the big task at hand... breaking P'li...

That was it for the first chapter. Sorry there were some "the emperor's new Groove" fragments in it, but I figured breaking down P'li would be just as hard as it had been for pacha to reach into the emperor's hearth.. so I hope you like it...

**THANKS FOR READING AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEUW BEFORE CLOSING THIS WINDOW! **

**REVIEUW! **


	2. the first visit

Chapter 2: The first visit

**Femke's POV**

the elevator pinged as it stopped on the lowest level of the prison I was in at the moment. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the elevator and towards the guards who immediately got into my way.

"what are you doing here?"

One of them growled at me with stern look. I grinned and took my stances as well. I knew I could get these guys down with one blast if I wanted to, but I was here with a mission, so I couldn't make them mad at me... Because then I would never be able to see P'li...

"cool down, I'm here in order of the white lotus to see miss...P'li..."

I grinned because it rhymed. The men looked at each other surprised, because this was the first time that someone other than the Firelord ore the Chief came to visit P'li, and I knew for sure that they were suspecting that I wanted to bust her out of this place... this... Hell... it was so cold here that Firebending should be impossible here... there was snow and ice everywhere! And then there was the problem that she most likely doesn't knows were the elevator was located, plus the fact that there were to many guards around her prison. Even if she managed to open the door herself it would be impossible for her to escape, because there were to many guards who would be able to subdue here in no time.

_"that, plus the fact that she must be exhausted and starved all this years..."_

I thought as I looked to the spot above me, were Firelord Zuko, Master Katara,and the chieftains Sokka and Unalag still were. They looked over the railing and nodded to the guards. The guards saluted and immediately brought me to a flat elevator that led to the platform with the prison.

"Who's coming to visit me? I never got any visitors since the 4 years I'm here!"

a hoarse voice exclaimed from out of the cell. I looked through a small barred window in the door and saw a young woman of about 32 years sitting there. She had long black hair, that felt tousled alongside her long pale face. She also had bags under her eyes, probably because of the lack of sleep she would get thanks to the bitter cold.

"My name is Femke... I'm here to visit you indeed... but I have a certain...reason for this visit..."

I started a bit unsure as I kept looking at her face. She looked so weak and helpless, al tangled down with chains like a wild animal...And then that strange metal plate on her forehead... why was that there any...

_"Her name is P'li and she is a combustion bender, which means she can bend fire with her mind!"_

Chief Sokka had told me before we got here!

_"Duhu! that metal plate on here forehead was meant to keep her from combustion bending the crap out of everyone!"_

I thought as I took a few steps closer to the cell so I could see the rest of her as well. her thin body was all chained down to the wall, and she was wearing rags all over her body, most likely fireproof to keep her from Firebending to warm herself up a little...

"You can go now if the chieftains send you to break me... I'm **NEVER** going to tell you what the plans of our group were!"

She said looking at me with a grin on her face. I shook my head and smiled at her kindly. I knew I lied when I would say I wasn't send by them... but I had to do something to earn her trust, only then she would tell me what her team was up to...

"They only asked me to talk with you...because you must be very lonely in here.."

I said trying to keep a smile on my face. The combustion bender looked at me with a strange look now, before she started to launch, not a sweet launch because she was touched, but she just threw back her head and launched evilly... I frightens me to the core, but I had to stay strong now! _She must have a weak point... focus on finding that... don't let her intimidate you... _

"what's so Funny?!"

I snapped at her now. P'li stopped launching now and looked at me with a evil grin.

"You don't really think I believe you just came for a friendly visit... right? I'm no **IDIOT!** I know your here with **THEM** trying to break me down! but I **WON'T**! I will **NEVER** betray Zaheer..."

The name "Zaheer" came very soft out of her mouth and I knew she had a certain... respect... for the man...

"_maybe they were in love before they got caught... in that case it's very good possible that __**THAT'S **__her weak point"_

I thought smiling. I knew I had to play this smart... that way I would be able to break her down.

"well, I was going to offer you freedom in exchange for information, but I guess your not interested so..."

I said as I slowly made my way back to the flat elevator. I knew this trick worked very well with other prisoners we've been visiting and I just knew for sure that it was going to work this time as well.

"No wait!"

She called after me when I was about to step on the elevator, sounding very desperate. I smirked, walking back as slow as I had walked to this spot smirking to myself.

"That old slowly walk away trick always does it"

I thought as I stood before the little window again and peeked threw it to look P'li in the eye, so I could clearly see the desperation in her eyes as we spoke...

**P'li's POV **

"well, I was going to offer you freedom in exchange for information, but I guess your not interested so..."

the strange looking woman said as she started to make her way towards the moving platform that had gotten her here, ore at least I thought she was taking her leave, since I couldn't feel the warmth of her body so well in this enormous cooler. But my guts instincts told me she was faking her leave in order to make me change my mind. At one hand I was happy she was leaving, but at the other hand I really wanted to know if she would really be able to free me, if so, I could bust out Zaheer and the others myself and then we could try to capture the avatar again when no one was paying attention to her. At some point she must go somewhere without protection...right?

"No, wait!"

I now called after her, trying to make my voice sound desperate so she would immediately come back to me. If she was as naive as I thought she was, she would fall for this act immediately, and I was right, she was very Naive, because not match later she peeked threw the window again and looked at me with a smirk, thinking she had won me over

_"The fool will never suspect what's coming next"_

I thought as I got up a little so I could look at her face better. I wasn't able to get up fully, because I was still chained this damn wall, but I could at least get on my feet a little so I was a bit taller then she was.

"What do I need to tell you to earn my freedom?"

I now asked with the same desperation in my voice as before. I only had to trick her into opening that door and putting of my chains and metal clip and then... It was combustion time...

"You have to tell me everything you know, who were your friends, what were your plans with the young avatar if you had managed to kidnap here... everything..."

She halfly whispered halfly told me with the same grin on her face.

"The fool thinks he won! Perfect! She will never see an attack coming now"

I thought while keeping in a evil grin. I had to keep my face straight now, as long as she didn't suspected anything she would free me and then... she would **GET IT! **

"I don't tell you anything... I don't know that match... Zaheer was the mastermind... I only did what he wanted me to do..."

I said as while I kept looking at the ground. I didn't know in how far she was able to read my thoughts, so I had to think of other things, because she had to believe me in order to get this plan to work.

"what did he tell you, if he didn't told you everything? "

The strange girl now asked me with a bright smile on her face.

_'" spirits please, don't tell me she can read my thoughts"_

I thought desperately. This plan wouldn't work if she could feel that I was lying, and then... then I would never see Zaheer ever again...unless I would tell her the truth that is... but then I would betray Zaheer, and spirits knows what will happen to me then...

"Well, he only told me that disorder is the only order that this world needs...and some other things he once read in an old book from a guy named... Guru... Laghima..."

I said, thinking over this answer carefully. I figured I could effort to tell her **THIS** match. Because that still wouldn't explain what would have happened to the avatar if we had managed to capture the avatar.

"And the avatar? what had been her position in this all?"

The girl now asked smiling. I growled under my breath, cursing the spirits for bringing this girl to me that could obviously read my thought.

"I'm** NOT** going to tell you **THAT!** now release me at once! I kept my promise!"

I demanded her while trying to walk towards the door as far as the chains let me. But the Girl walked away probably grinning to herself because she had been able to trick me into telling her this.

"Sorry I can't... and you didn't told me** EVERYTHING**, you didn't told me what the role of the avatar had been IF you had been able to capture her... so you tell me that **ORE **you will stay in there for some more time..."

She said while walking towards the elevator in a slow pace again. This time I wasn't fooled by it and I cursed under my breath when she stepped on the flat elevator that would bring her back to the surface without looking back

**Femke's POV**

"Sorry I can't... and you didn't told me** EVERYTHING**, you didn't told me what the role of the avatar had been IF you had been able to capture her... so you tell me that **ORE **you will stay in there for some more time..."

I said as I slowly made my way to the elevator again, hoping she would call me back again, but this time she didn't. Instead I heard her curse under her breath, while I stepped on the flat elevator that would bring me back to the other side and then to the surface without looking back at her.

_"this is so weird... I could see a spark of good in her eyes, why didn't she showed it when she had the chance?"_

I Thought as I reported my findings to the chieftains, the Firelord and the water bending master. The chieftains looked very disappointed when I reported I hadn't been able to get out of her what they had been planning to do with the avatar when they had been able to capture the avatar, the waterbending master Katara on the other hand, didn't looked so surprised when she heard this

"I think she might need some time to get to trust Femke... Maybe if she would be able to visit here a couple of more times she would be able to accomplish that...If you want that is..."

Katara said while she looked me right into the eye with a questioning look. I immediately nodded firmly, I wanted nothing more then to help them break the combustion bender down...

_"And get the spark good out, that I saw today"_

I added in my mind as we all left the prison back to the jeep and then back to the royal palace ...

That was the end of the second chapter of my newest story!

A/N

Since Zaheer is the mastermind I think he wouldn't tell his friends everything in case things like this would happen, they would just follow and trust their leader, like we have seen in the movie (they only had to look at each other to make a plan)

P'li's love for Zaheer could indeed be a weak point from here side, but I'm not sure if I'm going to let her character break threw her like the white lotus wanted er ore that they just became friends and that's why she's going to tell them and desert from the red lotus.

Anyway I hope you all liked it

**REVIEUW! **


	3. The second visit

Chapter 3: The second visit

**Femke's POV **

A few days passed by since the first visit in which I had nothing to do then roam the palace while the Chieftains were busy and when they had time I had to tell them all I was allowed to tell about the woodvillages. This wasn't all to match but enough to ensure them that that they wouldn't be bothered by the red lotus again once they agreed to come with me.

_"that is__** IF**__ they will __**EVER **__agree too come with me"_

I thought as I sat on the back on Firelord zuko's dragon on our way to the hidden prison. This time the Chieftains and the water bending master Katara had to stay behind because they had some problems in the tribe that needed their attention, so I was allowed to ride on the back of the older firelords Dragon towards the prison this time while the Firelord himself sat in the front to lead the dragon. Even do I wasn't the one that was leading the enormous beast, but even now this was amazing! I was sitting on the back of a dragon! I really had to hold myself in not to shout "whoehoe!" every time the dragon made a swing to the left ore right, since it felt truly amazing to sit here and look down on the frozen tundra from out of the skies. Firelord Zuko also must have noticed that I was very excited to sit on the back of a real life dragon since he looked up once in a while beaming at me brightly.

"You know, you can sit in the front on our way back if you want"

The older man said once we stepped of his dragon and started to bind it to a tree that was twice as small as the beast. If it would want it could rip the while tree out of the ground at once. which would be very funny to see.

_"I wonder how he managed to tame a dragon this size anyway"_

I thought while following the older man into the building again, still not answering to his remark. I was to deep in thoughts about the dragon to answer his question, this was why I bumped into the Firelord all of a sudden.

"This is were our ways part for now, you have to go down on your own again, and remember, you can't tell her anything about us for now, first she needs to trust you..."

The Firelord said with a stern look at the elevator. I nodded and pushed the button myself this time, so the hatched closed, after that I felt in the bag I carried with me this time, in which I carried some things I wanted to give to P'li, maybe that would soften her bit...

_"I really hope it works this time...she's really stubborn"_

I thought while stepping on the flat elevator that would bring me to the cell P'li was in.

"why are you visiting me again!"

her voice cackled from out of the cell, while I hopped off the elevator and walked towards the door of her cell.

"Yes... I wanted to talk to you again, seeing if you changed your mind about telling me everything..."

I said smiling while opening the bag and getting out a blanket.

"and I figured you would be cold in there... so I got you a blanket..."

I said smiling while one of the guards opened the door for me so I could go in and sit down next to her. Then carefully wrapped it around her.

"Thanks... but you can't buy me..."

She snapped while she got wrapped the blanket a bit tighter around her, since she must be awfully cold.

"I know that... but I wanted to show you I mean you no harm... I only want to help..."

I said while taking her hands, which were very cold as well, even do she has a cloth wrapped around them, most likely to prevent her from Firebending.

"Yes, well I don't want your help!"

She snapped at me walking to another corner as far as the chains let her. This is were she sat down and wrapped her arms around her knees. I looked at her with a sad look, feeling she might needed more help then she thought herself... So I got up and walked towards her, sitting down next to her.

"Tell me..."

I said shortly while looking at her with a stern look.

**P'li's POV **

"why are you visiting me again!"

I snapped when I heard the lift coming towards the platform I was on. I just **knew **it was her again... it had to be... and indeed, after a few seconds she looked threw the window with a smile on her face.

"Yes... I wanted to talk to you again, seeing if you changed your mind about telling me everything..."

She said with a soft voice... I looked away, hoping she would see "No" I didn't changed my mind about betraying my boyfriend... I think she must have figured that because I heard the sound of a bag opening and soon she was holding a blanket in her hands

"and I figured you would be cold in there... so I got you a blanket..."

She said with a kind smile while one of the guards opened the door widely, since they knew I couldn't escape since I was all chained up. Therefore the girl just walked in and wrapped the blanket around me with a smile and warm hands...

"Thanks... but you can't buy me..."

I snapped at her while wrapping the blanket around me a little tighter since I was awfully cold. I hadn't had a warm blanket since the day I got arrested so it was a welcome gift... if it hadn't been a tool to buy me over I would have been very grateful for her help.

"I know that... but I wanted to show you I mean you no harm... I only want to help..."

She said with a soft voice while taking my hands in hers and looked at me with a soft smile, that would have fooled anyone else, but not** ME! **I knew she was working with **THEM** to get information out of us... and I would rather die from the cold then to betray my one and only true love...

"Yes, well I don't want your help!"

I snapped at her while getting up and walking towards the other end of the cell, as far as the chains allowed me to go. There I sat down and waited for her to leave. As grateful as I was she got me a blanket...as match I hoped she would leave me alone soon so I could be all alone again... hoping for Zaheer to come and free me...  
But instead of leaving she sighted and came towards me...

"Tell me"

She said shortly while sitting down next to me.

"Tell you what?"

I asked her rather surprised. I knew she what she meant with it... But I couldn't believe my ears...

"tell me your story... I wanne know why you don't want to trust me..."

She carefully said with tears in her eyes, almost like she really meant what she said... but I don't fall for it... I don't let her get any closer to me, only so she can hurt me afterwards...

"My past is personal... I don't wanne talk about it..."

I snapped to her while trying to ignore the way she looked at me. I was very grateful for the blanket she got me, but my past was to personal to share with anyone... especially now I was in prison... far away from the people that shared this memories with me...

"I know this is personal... and I also know things like this can be very painful... But I want to know how you ended up here..."

She now said while placing a hand on mine again, forcing me to look at her face. She had tears in her eyes...

_"She must be faking... no... the tears look to... real...She really is sad... but why?..."_

I thought now, while I tried to look away from her. But I couldn't look away from her face...It looked so... so... sad... like she really meant what she had been telling me...

_"maybe... just maybe... I can trust... I can trust her..."_

I thought while taking a deep breath and looked at her with a stern look.

_"Okay then, here it goes, all ore nothing..."_

I thought before I starting my story...

wha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ! Cliffhanger!

The next time you will see P'li's story!

A/N

That P'li tells her the story of her life doesn't means she trusts her already! I think she will tell the story of the others as well before she trusts her fully! But I'm not sure that's going to happen, to find that out you should keep reading

**THANKS FOR READING **

**REVIEUW! **


	4. Chapter 4-fire- P'li's story- part 1

_Chapter 4: Fire- P'li's story- part 1_

_for as long as I can remember people were teasing me because of my tattoo, that ore they completely ignored me. My parents, who should have been proud of me, sold me to a warlord who wanted to make a killer machine out of me. They were very poor, so I understood that they didn't wanted this because they wanted to get rid of me only. they also knew they could earn a lot of money by selling me, and with that they could feed themselves for a while, but It didn't took away the pain of having to leave them, even do they treated me like dirt. After I left them, the hell started for me. I had to train every day, and if I resisted a direct order I got whipped._

_"Come on P'li! You can do so match better then this!"_

_He often screamed at me when I failed to hit the goal I had to blast with my combustion bending._

_"I... I try my best... My bending... doesn't wants what I want"_

_I stammed while trying again. But the warlord wasn't so sure about that and Immediately I got whipped again._

_"I said you could do better! And you will try the whole night if I say so!"_

_He snapped while whipping me again. I nodded now and with tears in my eyes I tried again and again, until I fainted from exhaustion and was send to beth without any food..._

_A Few months went by like that and my bending got stronger every day I trained with the warlord. And even do I didn't got match food I felt good, because I was getting more powerful by the day, which meant the warlord had no reason to whip me, until that one day... the day that would chance my life forever..._

_That day started like every other day, training, water and more training. This was until there was a explosion in the back of the army base I lived in. A lot of soldiers ran to the place the explosion had been, and a moment later I was brought to a stockade were several man were bound to stakes, blindfolded and waiting for something._

_"P'li, this is your target, kill these traitors of the earth kingdom"_

_The warlord said while pointing to the stockade were the man were all tied up and ready to be killed. I knew I couldn't talk back to him, but it really was against my nature to kill two..._

_"Sir...I... I'm..."_

_I stammed looked at the man who had just attacked our base. This was when I noticed 1 of them was cutting his robes. I knew he had no chance of escaping unless..._

_"I won't do it!"_

_I suddenly exclaimed. The warlord looked at me with a fierce look, before he glanced at the prisoners, when he saw one of them was cutting the robes he immediately alerted a few soldiers who knocked him out and changed his robes, this was when I had no other choice, I had to kill them..._

_that was the first time I killed someone... It was horrible..._

_At the war base there was a boy named Lee, he was a kind hearted boy who loved to play with me, whenever I had time to spare after the horrible training session with his father the warlord. Even do his father forbade to search contact with his "weapon" he secretly came to me every night to bring me some food and ask me what his dad had learned me today. When I told me he ordered me to kill three man who attacked the base he called me a lair and ran home crying..._

_The next morning the warlord asked me what his son had been doing in the small room I owned in the base. I told him a lie, fearing my only friend would be kept away from me._

_"Don't lie to me!"_

_He said whipping me again. I felt on the floor and made myself as small as possible so the whip only hit my backside. I knew lying was wrong, but I had to do this for my friend.._

_"Daddy please! Let her go! I called her a lair because she said you ordered her to kill some man..."_

_The tiny voice of my only friend suddenly said. I saw the warlord now turned around and looked at him with a frightened look, catched in the act..._

_"and now I see she was right...you are a horrible man, just like grandpa..."_

_He said before turning around and running home. That night he told his mother everything he had seen, she immediately didn't wanted to have anything to do with a monster like him anymore, they broke up in a few weeks. The warlord blamed me for this and whipped me halfway death the day after they left... I barely survived that one..._

_I remember the day Zaheer came to free me like it was yesterday... I was practicing my Firebending near the outside wall, a few days after I was able to leave my beth after the Warlord had almost slapped me to death. It was December the 24th, the day before Christmas. Other years the warlords wife had let me in and cared for me as her own, since most of the soldiers left for Christmas holidays. Then I would get a hot bath and soup, and I was allowed to sit by the tree and sing Christmas carols with their son, and sometimes actually got something for Christmas two..._

_"It's Christmas, and she's a human being, She has the right to be here"_

_His wife had always snapped at the warlord whenever he complained about me, being here, sharing their home..._

_**"She's not! She's a weapon and she should be in her room were she belonged"**_

_He had yelled back every time and then he would walk outside and slam the door shut. To grab me by my arm and drag me back to my room when his wife was putting their son to sleep, making sure to whip me extra hard to make sure I wouldn't accept her offer the next time._

_"See!? She finally sees she's nothing more then a weapon and she shouldn't be treated like more as well"_

_He had told his wife last year when I turned down the offer because I had been so afraid of the warlord whipping me again._

_"See... how ungrateful... your sure you want the ungrateful brat around?"_

_He had asked his wife smirking while making sure to look at me strictly so I wouldn't tell her he slapped me so hard I was afraid of accepting the offer this year._

_"Yes! Ungrateful ore not, she deserves to celebrate Christmas with us"_

_She has said sternly while taking my hand and let me in again... only so the warlord would slap me halfway to death again... that had been last year... The last Year I would celebrate Christmas..._

_This year would be different, since the Warlord and his wife broke up. No one would invite me in... No one would bath me, give me new clothes that wouldn't rub so match and then let me sit by the fireplace, to sing carols with their son and enjoy the happiest day of the year... the day of piece and joy... for everyone..._

_"It's just unfair! Only because my parents sold me to him, he shouldn't be cruel to me like this! His wife was right...I have feelings two..."_

_I bitterly thought while going to all the Firebending forms I knew, as well as the combustion bending forms the warlord thought me, while thinking about the few memories I had about my parents, since they sold me to the warlord at a very young age. I was so busy with my Firebending practice I wasn't paying attention to my environment. So I looked up with a shocked look when I suddenly heard someone clapping._

_"Your a really good fire bender for someone of your age, P'li... "_

_He said while plopping down from the wall he had been sitting on and walked towards me. instinctively, I took a few steps backward, ready to run off the minute I senses danger._

_"Who... who are you... and how do you know my name?"_

_I asked now, hating the way my voice was shaking when I asked this. I shouldn't be afraid of this stranger... and yet... here I was, trembling on my feet while talking to a total stranger. The warlord would have whipped me in the face if he had seen me like this._

_"How I know your name is not important for now, I only want to know 1 thing: Are you happy the way you live right now?"_

_He asked me with a solemn voice. I looked back at the compound I was living on with a thoughtful look. At one hand the warlord had taught me so match about my powers, and about myself... and his wife had always been nice to me... But at the other hand he had always mistreated me... whipped me whenever I talked back to him ore refused to do something... he had even ordered me to kill people..._

_"No... not one bit"_

_I replied calmly, still aware that I didn't even knew his name nor how he knew my name._

_"But why should you care? You don't even know me"_

_I now said while turning around and making my way back towards the compound. I knew I had to be back before sunset, ore the warlord would start to look for me, and if I didn't wanted something to happen... it was making the man angry... I would get a serious whipping for that..._

_"I know their treating you bad, so why would you go back if they don't treat you well?"_

_The stranger asked me now. I looked at him with a shocked look when he said this. I had never thought about escaping, since I had no were else to run. My parents would immediately bring me back, and I had no other relatives... not that I knew about.. And who knew what they would do to me if they found out I existed? Maybe I would end up even worse then this..._

_"I can't... I have no were else to go... my parents sold me to this man..."_

_I sighted after a while. The stranger smiled kindly now while he came closer to me, reaching out his hand for me._

_"And what If I told you, you could come with me? The red lotus could use a extra pair of hands... but you don't have to see it as a demand, you can come out of your own free will, if you want to..."_

_He said looking at me with a serious look in his green eyes... I smiled and realized he had a point there... even do I was the "weapon" of that warlord, I still had my own will... and right now I could make a choice between staying here and be the "weapon" Of this monster for the rest of my life, which would be at least 3 years (If he kept whipping me like he did right now) Ore going with this kind stranger and join the Red Lotus (whatever that might be...)_

_"And If I want to join you... what will happen to me ?"_

_I asked carefully while I noticed the sun was almost gone behind the mountains. If I refused to go with him the warlord would whip me to death for ignoring his orders again anyway... so It wasn't like I had a choice anymore..._

_"If you intended it to go, then you become a member of the red lotus, and you can help us restore balance to the world... the natural order... disorder..."_

_He said while he started to walk backwards into the forest._

_"but maybe we can disgust this better around a campfire a bit further away from this place, In case someone starts to look for you..."_

_The boy said now while pointing to the way that would lead us further into the forest, away from the horrible life I used to have..._

_"I... I'm not sure I can do this... what if they try to come after us?"_

_I stammed while looking back, to the only place I had ever known as home... For a second I thought I saw the lights of torches close to the place we had been talking. I looked closer and saw that there were indeed torches, closing in on us, they were looking for me! _

_"don't worry, You'll be okay... no one is ever going to get you back... but we have to leave... now!"_

_He said sternly while taking my hand and storming off. I hold his hand tightly while running off myself. We could hear yells behind us now together with the clatter of swords in the distance._

_"Were never going to make it! What now?"_

_I asked my new friend panicking. The boy looked back at me smirking while pointing to a mountain that was dooming up in front of us._

_"Were almost there! They will never follow us into the cave of two lovers!"_

_He said while leading the way to the cave he had just mentioned. I looked at him with widen eyes, knowing the story of the two lovers from the soldiers that worked for the warlord. I also heard that the avatar had been locked in it by princes Azula and her followers for a while and that Katara and Aang had found their way out because they shared their first kiss there..._

_"Are you sure we can get out of there ourselves after they left?"_

_I asked a little unsure now, while following him into the dark cave. The boy must have been prepared for this, because he suddenly pulled out a torch and handed one to me as well. _

_"Yes, I have been threw this cave several times on my own, and it's just like Guru Laghima once wrote: The lost can find their way out, if they listen to the voice from within"_

_He said while pointing out the way to us. While walking, I looked back once in a while to be sure no one was following us... I still was very scared of getting caught, since I knew what would happen to me if they would get me..._

_A few hours past and like that boy told me we got out of the cave alive, and we also lost the soldiers, since they wouldn't dare follow us into the cave of two lovers, since Avatar aang... Even do they got out alive...No one ever dared to go in there after they got out there alive, since a part of the cave had collapsed back then..._

_"How match further do we have to go now?"_

_I asked the boy a hour after we left the cave of two lovers. I had thought that we would set up a camp soon after we left the cave, ore even __**INSIDE **__the cave, since we both knew they wouldn't follow us in there._

_"I wonder__** WHY**__ we didn't stopped there?... maybe he knows more about the warlord then he told me so far... "_

_I thought while I kept following him. My feet were hurting from the long walk and I just knew I was going to have some blisters from this. I silently hoped we weren't going to far, because I didn't knew how long my body would last walking like this, since I was exhausted._

_"Were almost there... I promised to meet up with some friends in Xen bua"_

_He said while looking back at me with a kind smile. He must have seen I was exhausted since he looked pretty worried when our eyes met, and not long after that he sat down on a fallen tree and patted on the place next to him as a sign I had to sit down as well._

_"We can rest here for a while if you want... why didn't you say you were exhausted?"_

_He asked with a reproachful tone in his voice._

_"I... I thought you wouldn't care anyway..."_

_I quietly admitted, No one had ever asked me if I wanted to take a rest before. And if I told them I was exhausted I got whipped, because I was complaining..._

_"Well, I'm not like those people who used you as a weapon... I want to know it when your exhausted to we can take a rest in time... "_

_He said while placing his hands on mine. I looked at him with sparkling eyes, since this was the first someone was actually nice to me, not because it was Christmas ore because I was his property, but because he cared about me..._

_"I will try, but don't get mad if it takes me some time to get adjusted to that... no one ever asked me how I felt before"_

_I said looking away ashamed now. No one had ever treated me like a person, everyone I ever met used me as a weapon and treated me as one as well. So this was all very new to me and it never occurred to me before that someone could treat me better then the way the warlord has been treating me before, not even his wife..._

_"It's okay, you've been through a lot of awful things, but that's over now... trust me... I'm __**NEVER **__going to let __**ANYTHING **__happen to you__** EVER**__ again..."_

_The boy said looking at me so serious that I knew he couldn't possibly be lying. Trust me if this had turned out to be a trick from that warlord to get me to trust him more I don't think I would have been able to trust ever again..._

_"bytheway, you never told me your name... Do... you already knew my for some strange reason..."_

_I said looking at him sternly. The boy blushed a little at this command while he made a fire. It was getting late and since it was winter time it was already dark outside. But since I was used to sit in my dark, cold room, I could see he turned red a little when I asked him for his name again._

_"My name is Zaheer, and like I said, how I know your name is not important right now, the most important thing is, that your safe now..."_

_He said smiling at me kindly while handing me some food he kept in his bag. I accepted the food thankfully, since I hadn't had any breakfast that morning either.. nor did I get lunch... since the warlord had been busy the whole day and no one else dared to get close enough to me to get me some food. I looked up at the stars now, wondering if the warlord and his men were looking for me right now, ore gave up and would start to look for me again by morning... since we would probably be long gone by the time they would start and look for us in the morning..._

_"You better get some sleep now, I will stand watch in case someone is still looking for you"_

_Zaheer told me soon after I ate and sat down a little. I nodded and turned on my side now. I never had any Pyjamas, so I didn't mind sleeping in my daily clothes, soon after I turned on my side I felt in a dreamless sleep..._

_The next day I got up early. I yawned and looked around, realizing I wasn't in my room in the military compound I was raised in. First I wondered how I got here, but when I saw Zaheer lying against a tree, fast asleep as well, I remembered he rescued me yesterday and I sighted, while getting up and walking over to him, tapping him on his shoulder gently._

_"Good morning, it's already sunset..."_

_I told him while sitting down next to him. I knew waking someone up wasn't something you should do, but I also knew we had to keep going if we didn't wanted to get caught, since the warlord would start to look for me now as well._

_"Na, lemme sleep pwease"_

_He mumbled while turning over on his other side. I looked up now, torn between trying again and leaving him be, he would wake up soon on his own two...right? I sat down against a tree looking at him sleep for a long time, I didn't really know how match time passed but I was sure it must have been quit some time and the warlord was probably looking for us! This was when I heard footsteps close to the place were we were camping out. They were here! _

_"Zaheer, Zaheer please wake up! Wake up! I don't want to get caught!"_

_I said shaking him up panicking now, while looking around for something I could use to get him to wake up, but I didn't see anything. At the end of my rate I hide myself in a nearby tree, since I heard footsteps coming closer towards us._

_"There he is! I already wondered where he had gotten off too"_

_A boy with strange tattoos told a armless girl while walking up to Zaheer, ticking on his shoulder._

_"Hey sleepy head! Wake up! we've been worried sick about you when you didn't showed up on the agreed time!"_

_The tattooed man said while taking his both shoulders and shaking him for a few minutes, trying to wake him up._

_"leave me! still tired..."_

_He mumbled turning around again, just sleeping on. I chuckled a bit, since Zaheer was acting like a 4 year old at the moment, not that I knew how old he was ore something, but he looked like he was around the 15 already, so this whole acting like a 4 year old situation was really was funny._

_"this isn't going to work, Ming Hua can you please wake him up?"_

_The tattooed boy asked the armless girl now._

_"With pleasure"_

_She said grinning while bending some water around her into two makeshift arms, which she splashed in his face without a warning. Zaheer now got up and hold his arms in front of his face to keep the water from splashing in his face any further._

_"Now were was __**THAT**__ for?"_

_he asked while looking up at the two in front of him with a stern look, probably not liking the way he had been woken up._

_"You were playing mister sleepy head again.. so we had to wake you up somehow"_

_The armless girl named Ming Hua dryly replied while looking around, probably searching for someone, ore something..._

_"didn't that girl you told us about come with you?"_

_She suddenly asked. I immediately realized they were talking about me, which meant not only Zaheer knew about my existent, before he met me in person, but these two people knew about me as well! _

_"Yes she did, but I think you guys scared her off..."_

_Zaheer now said while looking around for me. I still stayed hidden, not sure if I could trust these two newcomers... I knew Zaheer was okay, ore at least he told me so... But I didn't knew how match I could trust these two..._

_"P'li, you can come out now! Don't worry, there my friends, their not going to hurt you in any way..."_

_Zaheer called out now, still looking around for me. I moved backwards a little, which made the leafs behind me rustle a little, this was when Zaheer looked up to see me sitting in the tree, looking at him with a pretty scared look, since I still was very scared of the fact that they all knew about me, without even meeting me before..._

_"It's okay P'li... were here to help you... not to hurt you... "_

_Zaheer said while sitting down before the tree, gesturing to the other two to do the same. I carefully got down now and sat down next to Zaheer, since I didn't fully trusted the other two members of the group._

_"We were told that you were hold captive by that warlord by a man named Xai Bau, he's the one that brought us all together and trained us, since we all have no other place to go..."_

_Zaheer explained now, while we all ate some berries Ming Hua and her still unnamed companion had found on their way here._

_"See, we all believe that this world would be better of if it wasn't let by foolish humans like the earth queen, the Firelord and the chieftains of both tribes..."_

_He said while eating down his last berries smiling._

_"We... are the Red Lotus..."_

_He said sternly looking at his friends, who nodded as well. I opened my mouth to reply to that, but just then I heard clapping coming from behind me... I turned around with a jerk only to see __**HIM**__ standing there... the warlord..._

_"Good work P'li... you found the traitors to our world all on your own... and made them admit their crimes two... I'm very proud of you..."_

_He said looked at me with a pleased look. I shook my head in fear and hid behind Zaheer's back, looking at him with big fearful eyes, fearing he might believed what the warlord told him... Ming hua and the tattooed boy looked at me with stern look now probably believing what he said, Zaheer on the other hand looked at him with piercing eyes, like he wasn't believing one word the warlord said..._

_"Ghazan... do you think you can take them out?"_

_He whispered to his friend. The tattooed boy Ghazan shook his head but he pointed to the ground, behind his back, signing he __**COULD**__ try to make a escape route._

_"Still wanne take her? What if it's true what he said?"_

_Ming hua whispered now pointing to me. Zaheer looked at me as well now with narrowed eyes, like he was trying to read my thoughts._

_"Watch and learn... I've got a idea"_

_Zaheer said winking to me, as a sign he was going to act a little to try and get some information from the warlord._

_"And how can we be sure she was on your side... I mean... do you have any proof she was working with you...since I didn't saw ore felt you anywhere around me when I took P'li with me..."_

_He said stomping his foot on the ground, like he was earth bending._

_"because I wasn't, but I told her to deliver you and your comrades to me before I left her alone there, you wouldn't think she would have been there without a good reason... right?"_

_He taunted us now. Ming hua and Ghazan shared a glare now, their trust in me was fading more by the minute it seemed. .. I had to do something __**RIGHT NOW,**__ ore they wouldn't wanted to take me__** EVER**__ again..._

_"__**Your a lair! I left with Zaheer out of my own free will!"**_

_I shouted at the warlord angrily before hiding behind Zaheer's back again, frightened. The warlord now turned red from ear to ear and I knew that was a bad sign... he was going to get the whip if he turned__** THAT**__ red..._

_"You get here __**RIGHT NOW,**__ Missy! Your __**MY **__property, and you know what happens if you disobey me"_

_The warlord said while showing me the whip. I knew he was going to whip me to death if he got his hands on me now, But maybe... just maybe... my new friends would help me..._

_"Sir, we don't let you take her! Why don't you just let her go with us?!"_

_Zaheer asked now while taking stance in front of me, arms wide to protect me from the evil warlord and his whip..._

_"because she's __**MY**__ property young man! Now get out of the way before I arrest you two!"_

_He snapped while he pushed Zaheer out of the way and walked up to me. But he underestimated my new friend, because Zaheer stretched out his foot so the warlord would topple over and fall right before my feet. I quickly jumped back before he could grab my ankle._

_**"Get here you little..."**_

_He started while he got up and walked towards me again. But in the meantime Zaheer had gotten back on his feet and tackled him now, jumping on a tree branch with a swift move._

_**"P'li, Run for it! Ming hua go with her! Ghazan help me out against this brute"**_

_Zaheer now ordered. Both of them nodded, trusting his instincts blindly, before Ming hua took my arm in her water arm and pulled her with me, while Ghazan and Zaheer fought with the warlord._

_"Can't we better stay and help them?"_

_I asked the armless waterbender while we ran thought the forest. _

_**"No!**__ we better run and hide, let the boys take care of this"_

_She replied while she kept running out in front of me. She must have been thought this forest multiple times, because she seemed to know the way very well. I just wanted to ask her about it, when something struck us from above, after which I blacked out..._

_*end flashback*_

**P'li's POV **

I took a deep sign after the last memories faded away. That had been the first time I met the gang had been the best day of my life, and now I wasn't sure I would ever see them again... I looked at Femke who was writing everything down she had heard. She hadn't interrupted me to ask something, not even once... I had expected her to interrupted at least two times, while I told this story... first, when I told her about the wife and son of the warlord and second when I told her we were knocked out from above...I shivered while I thought about the last memory, the memory of the warlords man, knocking me out from above before capturing us again... Even Ming hadn't been able to sense them coming from there... we had no chance...

_"Do I never imagined they would get Zaheer and Ghazan down too"_

I thought, still shivering, not only from the bitter cold, but also because the memories were frightening me to no end. Therefore I looked up shocked when I suddenly felt a hand on mine. I looked up, only to see** SHE** was holding my hand gently in her own,

smiling at me with a sad look on her face. I had to hold myself back not to smile back to her, she was a enemy... She was only pretending to be nice...

"That must have been horrible..."

She half said half whispered while she hold my hand on her cheek., so I could feel the tears run down her cheek, she wasn't pretending to care..._"She actually cared!..."_  
I thought while I gave her a small nod.

"I really wish there was a way I could save you all..."

She now said to my great surprise. I never imagined someone who wasn't part of the red lotus to... to actually **CARE **about one of us... since were all outcasts... strangers in a world full of normal people, who just followed the lead of corrupt nations and world leaders...

I just wanted to tell her she wouldn't have been able to save us, even **IF** she had been with us, but just then a guard came to the door to sign Femke her time with me was up.

"sorry, I have to go for now... But I will be back soon"

She promised smiling, as she carefully wrapped her own cape around me as well, to make sure I would be warm enough tonight. I smiled at her kindly, at one hand feeling slightly annoyed by the fact she was taking care of me, since she is the enemy, but at the other hand, I felt... safe... in her arms...a feeling I never felt before, not even with Zaheer and his gang... and they had been my first and best friends...

**Femke's POV**

I had listened carefully to P'li's story for a long time, writing down everything she told me, with a shocked look. She had been threw so match pain and suffering... and this had been only a small part of her story... She hadn't even come to the part were she and her gang cot caught by the white lotus...

_"Poor thing, she must feel so alone..."_

I thought, when I saw she was shivering probably from both the cold and the awful memories. I carefully placed a hand on hers now, looking at her with a sad look...

"That must have been awful"

I said looking at her with a sad look, she looked back at me with the same sad look in her dark eyes. This was when I realized her life must have been a hell... and it only became worse when she was captured...

"I really wish there was a way I could save you all..."

I said, whishing with all my being I had been there when they attacked the southern

water tribe in order to take Korra, then I could have stopped them... ore Talked with

the white lotus, about giving them at least better cells... and chances to speak to each other from time to time...

_"Ofcourse they would try to escape then... but maybe... they could try to start over with the woodvillages after they managed to escape..."_

I thought while I kept her hand on my face, so she could feel tears were running down my cheek, since I was really sad about the fact she couldn't come with me and finally have a normal life...  
P'li just wanted to say something again, when a guard showed up by the small window to tell me my time was up, I had to go back for now... leaving the poor girl all alone again...

"sorry, I have to go for now... But I will be back soon"

I promised smiling, while I carefully wrapped my own cape around her shoulder as well, to make sure she would be warm enough tonight. I saw she smiled at me kindly now, probably feeling conflicted about the way I was treating her right now., nonetheless I was determined to visit her again, first thing tomorrow to hear the rest of her story...

since I was determined to give her sad story a happy ending...

_and that is the end of part 1 of a 2 parted story. Sorry I had to cut the story in two since the story would be far to big to read otherwise. _

**A/N **

_I think P'li will be around the 10 years old when she was sold to the warlord, who used her as a slave only for at least 4 to 6 years since she said she was still a girl when Zaheer saved her, and you become A adult at age 16 _

_The son of the warlord who was the only kind person towards P'li is going to get a important role in the story later on, since I think Zaheer and the other will go on with the mission without P'li, even do I'm a big fan of P'heer I can't skip them now... don't hate me for that..._

_I think the mother only helped her because it was Christmas indeed, and that only the son will be important in a later part of the story... _

_well that was it folks I hope you liked it! _

**THANKS FOR READING **

**REVIEUW! **


	5. Chapter 5: Illness

Chapter 5: Illness

**Femke's POV **

The next day I rose early, because I wanted to get to P'li as fast as I could. I wanted to spend as match time as possible with her today, without the interference of the white lotus. Ofcourse I had showed my notebook to the chieftains and the waterbending master, who had eyed my findings with a cocked head, because they can't see her face... the way she had looked at me with tears in her eyes,... they would never understand how match pain she has suffered thanks to that warlord... and thanks to that she joined the Red lotus and their quest to destroy world leaders...

"at least we know were their up to now"

chief Unalaq had told the rest of the group now, smiling as if he was... hiding something... That had been the first time he had looked at me with a strange look... like I was a danger to him for some odd reason...

_"I don't know... I don't trust him at al... I better keep a close eye on him from now on"_

I had thought just before the meeting had been over. Now I was sneaking out of my room past the meeting room and into the cold of the new day, the sun was just coming up behind the snowy hills...

"it's a nice morning to sneak away, isn't it?"

A raspy male voice called out from behind me. I turned around with a surprised look, only to see Lord Zuko, standing behind me with a kind smile on his older face.

"Yes... I wanted to speak with P'li for a longer time then yesterday... so I could hear the rest of her story and maybe... try to convince her to give up her mission..."

I admitted, knowing that trying to convince her to give he mission up would be as good as impossible... but I had to at least try it... she has the right on a normal life... just like any other human being...

"I understand this... and I know you want to help her... just like avatar aang once helped me, I once saved him from commandant Zhao, who wanted to lock him away so he couldn't bring balance, under the name The blue spirit... this failed... and I got hit... Aang saved me... and offered me his friendship... I foolishly turned it down back then..."

He said looking down sadly. I smiled, understanding what he meant to day, sometimes you have to keep trying in order to reach into someone...

"I'm going to do everything in my power to reach into her..."

I told the older man with a smile on my face, while I started to walk in the direction of the prison...The old man looked at me with a proud look, then pointed to the large dragon that was his.

"Take my dragon, that way you will be there even faster"

he said before he started to turn around and walk back into the royal palace.

"oo, one last thing... if there are already guards... tell them I gave you permission to come so early..."

he said while turning around one last time, while I got on the dragon.

"eeeeeeeehm... how do I make her...fly..."

I asked looking at Zuko with a unsure look now, since I never rode on a dragon before. Zuko smiled at me and walked back to the dragon now.

"Give him a small pat in his neck to make him fly, then just... tell him where you wanne go... dragons are really smart... they understand us... and know the way around the world very well..."

Zuko said smiling while patting the nose of his friend kindly.

_"Be gentle with her okay...this is the first time she rides a dragon..."_

I heard Zuko whisper to the big animal, who gave a small nod, before flying off... taking me with him to the prison... to P'li...

"thanks for the ride... you can better go back to Zuko now... in case he needs your help... I will be okay..."

I smiled patting the nose of the big dragon smiling while I looked at the entrance of the prison with a sad look, feeling happy to see P'li again, even do she was in a bad shape... abandoned by everyone...

"hrrrrrr aaaaarrrrrr"

The dragon grunted while he pushed me in the back, towards the door with his nose. I looked at him with a smile on my face. it was true what Lord Zuko said... dragons really are very intelligent creatures... without words... he understood what I was feeling right now...

"I will go... but... I'm just so unsure... what if she doesn't wants to listen to me..?"

I told the red dragon with a sad look on my face, knowing he understood what I was saying.

"hrrrrrrrrrrr grrrrrrrrr, Hmmmmmmm grrrrrrrrr"

The dragon grunted now, shaking his large head at me with a sad look in his big brown eyes _"Don't worry, she will listen to you" _the look meant_. "you only need to trust on your own hearth, now go on,... be with her..."_ the dragon tried to tell me with a second push in my back.

"Thanks... I know we didn't exactly... talked... but I understand you want me to follow my hearth and do what is right... so thanks... for your advise..."

I smiled while I gently placed a kiss on the nose of the dragon. I know I didn't actually **UNDERSTOOD** what she said... and with that actually **TALKED **to the dragon... But from the gentle way he nudged me... and tried to push me towards the door... I just felt that he meant I had to trust my heart and... do the right thing... for her... and for the avatar...

_"And he is right... she deserves a second chance... and I'm sure I can help her... in time..."_

I thought as I waved at the dragon one last time before he took off, then walked into the silent hallways, towards the elevator that would take me to P'li...

**P'li's POV**

After femke left last night I had tried to sleep over and over again... but I just... couldn't... images of my past kept showing up in my mind as nightmares... I wanted to shake them off... tell myself I've been threw that already... that It was over now... but for some odd reason I couldn't do it...I couldn't shake of that awful image of the soldiers dropping down on us ... fear started to overwhelm me, while I saw him bowing over me again, with that awful whip in his hands.

**"No... No... I didn't do anything wrong... let my friends go..."**

I started to call in my sleep. I was hot... so awfully hot... even do everything around me was cold and full of pain and despair ... I was feeling like my head was on fire...

"P'li... P'li wake up... your having a nightmare... snap out of it..."

I heard the familiar voice of Femke call out from above me... I tried, but I couldn't wake up... the heat was holding me down for some reason... the heat, the pain and the cold...

_**"Zaheer... were are you... I'm dying... Were are you? I need you... "**_

I thought, feeling a cool hand on my forehead for a split second, before it was pulled back, after that I heard someone scream something I couldn't understand, before the

darkness developed me...

**Femke'POV**

when I entered the flat elevator, I already felt like something was wrong... the last few times she had been standing before the door, waiting for me, as soon as she heard the flat elevator come over to her, but this time she wasn't standing there...

_"Don't be so paranoid... it is early in the morning... she is probably still asleep"_

A voice in my head told me while I walked to the door to see were she was. She was lying flat on the beth, her blanket tossed off, off the beth, like she was lying in a volcanic prison...

_"strange... It is still freezing cold here... I wonder why she tossed her blanket away.."_

I thought while I opened the door and walked up to her. She was tossing and turning in her sleep... like she was having a bad dream...which was probably true...

**"No... No... I didn't do anything wrong... let my friends go..."**

I heard her call out now desperately towards someone I couldn't see. A lump started to form in my troth when I understood she must be seeing visions of her past, maybe even from the moment the white lotus separated them...

"P'li... P'li wake up... your having a nightmare... snap out of it..."

I called out for her, gently placing a hand on her forehead, only to jerk it away from there fast, because she was very hot. "**SHE WAS BURNING UP WITH A FEVER!"** I looked at her with widen eyes, before I got up as fast as I could and run towards the door with a panicking look. The guards just came from... wherever they had been sleeping... to pick up their daily guarding jobs...

**"GUARDS FAST! P"LI IS HAVING A MAYOR FEVER! GET ME SOME EXTRA BLANKETS, WATERS AND CLOTHS! FAST!"**

I called towards them, looking at P'li with a worried look. her expression had become peaceful again, probably because she lost consciousness again. The guards looked at me with a stunned look for a second, before he ran off too get me the things I needed. As fast as I could I walked back to P'li and wrapped her in the two blankets that were already in the cell as well as the two robes I had with me. After that I started to bend some water out of the icy walls of her prison to get the fever down. When the guards finally showed up again I was already rubbing a wet part of my over her forehead

"I don't understand why your helping her... she is a criminal...she shouldn't get help..."

The guard said whipping some of his long dark blond hairs out of his face, before he threw the materials down for me and started to leave.

"Because she is a human being... she deserves to be taken care of... whatever she might have done..."

I told him firmly, remembering the wife of the warlord had once told her husband the same once... not exactly the same... but it did sound alike. The young man looked at me with a shocked look when he heard this, for some odd reason...

"what's the matter?"

I asked him with a surprised look on my face, while I kept taking care of P'li, the poor girl looked like she was in a lot of pain, even do she wasn't wounded.

"that's... that's just what my mother told my father once..."

He stammed while I kept rubbing over P'li's face with the wet towel. I looked at her with a worried look, before I looked at the boy again with a serious face, since this could be...

"then... you know P'li... from before she got in jail...right? She told me her story... So I know the warlord she worked for had a son..."

I told him while I nodded to P'li with a sad look. The boy now looked at me with a shocked look, before he nodded and sat down next to me.

"She was my very best friend... before my parents divorced, I always went to visit her when I had some time ... then we could sit together for hours and tell each other stories..."

he sigh while he looked at the unconscious girl on the rock solid bench. She looked somewhat peaceful now... I looked at her as well, while he carefully stroke her hair with a smile on his face.

"I missed her a lot, since my parents divorced, my mom told me it was for the best... but that she would love to see how she came to be as well... She had loved her as well... do she was only allowed to help her a Bit at Christmas eve... "

He said while he kept stroking her face. His face will of sorrow, while he did so...

"then we heard dad was killed... Mom was incredulous... she refused to believe that it had been P'li who killed him... I thought it** HAD** to be her... who else would be so cruel..."

He said looking away with a sad look, sad about the death of his father... the man who treated this girl...this... poor soul... like absolute **NOTHING **more then a weapon

"Mom told me I had to go and look for her... to ask her if it was true, she killed him... so I set off on my journey to find her... I didn't... A few years later I heard she tried to kidnap the avatar together with a group of others... so I joined the white lotus and hoped... I would be set to guards her cell one day... so I could ask her for the truth... then you came... and now I know it wasn't here... at least..."

he said, signing relieved, Happy he knew the truth at least. I smiled as well, placing a hand on his knee.

"I'm happy it wasn't her who killed your father..."

I said smiling, placing a hand on his knee with a smile on my face, to show him I really meant what I said.

"She hasn't told me her whole story yet, so I can't tell you who** DID** kill your father..."

I said looking at the still unconscious P'li with a sad look. Just then, P'li moaned and slowly started to regain consciousness.

_"Stay down... your still ill... you better try to rest up some more"_

I whispered to her while I put her down again, and tried to tuck her in some more with the extra blankets the guard had brought me. P'li looked at me with a smile, before she turned to her attention to the guard, the son of the horrible warlord she had worked for...

**"Hong Lee! what the... how did you get here!?"**

She exclaimed, while she shot upright and looked at him with a frightened look in her eyes, trying to get as far away from him as possible...

"Relax... I'm not here to avenge my father's death... I just wanted to talk... Now I found you at long last..."

Hong lee said with a smile on his face, while he picked up the wet cloth, from were it had felt too, and placed it on her forehead again carefully. I smiled when I saw she smiled at him a little now.

"so... if you aren't the one who killed my father... who was..."

He silently asked while he kept her cloth on her forehead. P'li looked at the both of us with a sad look.

"Maybe... I better go on with the story from were I left off..."

She said, nodding to me with a sad look. I looked at her smiling a bit, while I got my notebook out of my pocked and started to write on with her story... But before I could write down anything, P'li started to collapse again

**"P'LI NO!"**

I gasped, while the son of the warlord dove in to catch her, before she would fall on the ground and hurt herself...

**P'li's POV **

When I started to wake up, I felt two people were sitting next to me. One of them had to be Femke, since I had heard her voice last before I fainted. But when I looked up, I saw to my great shock another... very familiar face, hanging very close above me, a face that still haunted me in my worse nightmares... I had to hold back a scream when I record iced the face of the warlord... only match younger then I remembered...

_"Stay down... your still ill... you better try to rest up some more"_

I heard Femke's voice whisper to me, while she gently pushed me down again, but I couldn't ly back and relax as long as **HE** was around, in my panic I tried to crawl back on my beth, as far away from him as I could, until I finally remembered Zaheer told me the warlord was death...

_"so if this isn't the warlord... then this has to be..."_

I looked at the face of the young boy again now, and in a flash I saw the smiling face of the young boy who always played with me whenever I got some time to spare... the only friend I ever had in my lonely years with the warlord...

**"Hong Lee! what the... how did you get here!?"**

I exclaimed, when it finally dawned on me that this was, without a doubt, the young boy who had wanted to be friends with me so long ago...

"Relax... I'm not here to avenge my father's death... I just wanted to talk... Now I found you at long last..."

My old friend said, smiling at me gently while he picked up the wet cloth from were I had made it felt to in my panic to get away from him, do I have to admit, he does look a awful lot like his mean father... the same hair, the same beard... only his eyes were his mothers... and that was why I record iced him... since his mother had been the only person on the whole war base that had acted kind towards me... even if it had been only on Christmas eve... I smiled a little at him now, glad to see he was doing fine... even do he was working with the enemy, once again...

"so... if you aren't the one who killed my father... who was..."

he now carefully asked me, while he kept the wet cloth on my forehead for me. I looked at him with a sad look, at one hand I was happy he didn't blamed me for the death of his father... but at the other hand I had been happy the guards had came to call me last time, so I didn't had to betray my friends by telling her the rest of the story, do I kind of figured she would have asked me to continue today...

_"Next time, I really have to think twice before I start my story..."_

I thought, while I took a deep sight and started to talk again...memories flooded in... when I started to talk, do My body wasn't fully recovered from the illness, and just when I felt myself ready to start the new part of the story, I felt everything start to twist around me.

**"P"li! NO!"**

I heard a voice close to me exclaim, sounding very afraid. The last thing I felt were two strong arms around me, before I fainted again...

**Hong Lee's POV **

"so... if you aren't the one who killed my father... who was..."

I asked carefully while I kept the wet cloth on her forehead. I had looked for her everywhere... not only to ask her this... But also because I wanted to know what became of her, once she had the chance to leave my evil father at least...

_"She looks match better now... do I think it would have been better if they hadn't threw her in prison to rot..."_

I thought as In studied her match older looking face. She was looking far older then she was at this point, since she was around the 14 when she left my father... I bet she must be around the 25 right now... do she looks like she is already over the 40 years old... pale as a blanket, due the lack of sunlight, and so thin... way to thin for a girl of her age...

_"father already underfed her when she was still with him.,... I wonder if her new... so called "friends" underfed her as well"_

I thought as I saw she gave me a small smile, looking at the girl next to me with a kind smile as well, I saw she moved her lips, she was telling her something... but I wasn't paying attention to that for now. Right now I was to busy worrying about her well being, wondering how long she would last like this before she would...

_**"Look out! She faints again!"**_

A voice in my head suddenly exclaimed, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up and saw she indeed collapsed. As fast as I could I wrapped my arms around her body and then gently placed her on the beth again, making sure the wet cloth was placed on her forehead again, gently.

"Poor child... she is completely exhausted"

The girl next to me said while she carefully wrapped the extra blankets around her again to keep her warm enough.

Yeah, too bad we can't do anything more then this to help her up again..."

I said while I put off my own robes to cover her as well, to prevent she would become even colder then she was at the moment. I saw the girl smiled at me kindly as she tucked her in and started to rub over her head again with the wet towel, trying to get her fever down.

"I know, I think we both want her to become happier then this... messy life"

The girl said with a sad look on her face. I nodded and looked down at P'li again with a sad look.

" I know, after we got separated , I would have sacrifice **ANYTHING **to see her again... and now that found her... I want to do anything in my power to make her smile at me again..."

I said smiling kindly at the unconscious face of P'li, knowing she would still be able to hear me saying this.

"P'li told me your father was... not a very nice man... but still... I would like to hear your part of the story as well... If you wanne tell me..."

She carefully asked me now, while she kept stroking P'li's face. I started at her face for a while, thinking back to the day it all started...

"I will... It all started 24 years ago, on the military base my parents and I lived on, my father was the warlord there..."

I started with a thoughtful look on my face. Still trying to remember the details of that fateful that... the very day I met P'li. As I started to tell this tale, memories started to flood into my head, and as they did... I had to keep myself in, not to cry...

_*flashback* _

_For as long as I remembered I lived on the military compound, were my father was the warlord. Back then, I didn't knew he was a cruel man, who mistreated his, so called "weapons" I knew there were a people here with special powers, who my father called "Combustion benders" and I also knew some of them died, during the years, but I always assumed they just died in the battlefield, as young and Naive as I had been... _

_because I didn't knew how my father treated his combustion benders I looked up to him, and I wanted to become just as great as a leader as he was, this chanced when I met P'li... _

_She had been brought in by her parents, a few days after the last combustion bender I knew very well "Died in battle" as my father always told my mom and me, and we _

_believed him...just like that... as Naive as we both were..._

_P'li had been a shy girl back then, she was brought to the compound by her parents, who had sold her to my father. She was clamping to their arms, that was how scared she was of my father, and she didn't even knew him then! but her parents had been merciless, they just shook her off their arms and left, without even saying their final goodbyes... I had watched them go with a raised eyebrow, because they had been so cruel to their own daughter... but I assumed things would be fine now, because I believed my father to be a good man, who would treat her well... _

_"Hey there, My name is Lee, Hong lee... what is your name?"_

_I had asked her that evening, after my father had giving me and my mother permission to bring her some food. The girl had looked up at me with a absolutely scared look, not able to answer my question as well. _

_"Daddy didn't said she was a mute... right?"_

_I asked my mom now, who was standing behind me, with the plate in her hands. My mom, who was well known for her kindness and understanding, gave the plate with the food to me, and sat down on her knees very close to her and reached out her hand for her now. _

_"Hello there, my name is Thina, I'm the warlords wife... You don't have to be afraid of me... I'm not going to hurt you..."_

_She said with a kind smile on her face, nodding to me now, I carefully kneeled down next to her now and put the plate with food in front of me so she could see it. _

_"you want something to eat? You look hungry... "_

_I asked her now, smiling at her kindly. P'li looked at me with a sad look, reaching out her chained up arms slowly, and gave her a nod after that. My mother immediately understood what she wanted. I on the other hand thought she wanted me to hand her the plate with the food... But instead my mom carefully came closer to her and took a sobbing P'li in her arms. _

_"They... They just...s...sold me...I... I meant...N...Nothing t...to t...them..."_

_She sobbed, clutching to my mothers robes. My mom smiled at her kindly, while she kept rubbing her back in a comforting way, while started to hum a little to calm her down. _

_"it's okay sweetie... Hush now... your going to be fine from now on"_

_She had told her, smiling at her kindly while she stroke her hair, placing a kiss on top of her tattooed head. P'li kept sobbing for a while, until she had finally calmed down a bit and started to tell us her tale. _

_"My name is P'li Djong, Djong, Djong the Deserter was my great grand father, he survived the 100 year war and married after that..."_

_She started with a sad look on her face. _

_"My parents are poor people, and they only wanted a son to inherit their stuff... that's why they sold me to the warlord... because I was worth enough money for my parents to feed themselves for a while...and that is how I got here..."_

_She ended her story, still holding on to my mothers robes, with tears in her eyes. My mom looked at me with a sad look and nodded to P'li, signing I should hug her as well. _

_"That is very bad of them... too bad not all people see how lucky they are to be blessed with a child, no matter what the gender is..."_

_my mother said while she held P'li close. I also hugged her a little now, while my mom started to sing a lullaby she had always sang to me as well when I was just a baby. I saw how P'li finally managed to relax a little, and even ate something. After that my mom got out of the cell, and I stayed for a while to play with her, and hear more about her parents and way they treated her... it had been a awful story...They barely fed her and they hadn't allowed her to do normal child things... never..._

_"That must have been awful for you... "_

_I had said with a stunned look when she told me this. I couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for her to be underfed and ignored by her own parents... She had only nodded at me and looked at me with a sad look. That had been the first time I ever kissed someone else then my mom on her cheek... it had been amazing... _

_After that one day, I would be a regular visitor. P'li would often tell me what she learned from my father that day, and rarely she showed me as well. And after that we always played together, for as far as her chains let her, until my mom came to get me for dinner. That first Christmas after P'li came to live with us, my mother, who really seemed to like P'li, since the first day she came here, asked my father for his permission to let P'li stay with us for the 2 days we celebrated Christmas together. We didn't know why back then, but my father refused to let her in... _

_"She is to dangerous to be around you... I don't want that __**GIRL**__ to accidentally hurt you..."_

_He had told me when I asked him why she couldn't come in to celebrate Christmas with us, with a rather disappointed look on my face, since I liked P'li a lot as well, because she was the one and only friend I had here on the compound. ..._

_"__**SHONG!**__ you know just as well as I that that is nonsense! She is a human being! And human beings deserve to celebrate Christmas with us!"_

_my mother snapped at my father with a angry look on her face. My father grumbled something under his breath, before he stormed off, smacking the door shut behind him. My mom now got into the base threw the back door now, and a moment later she came back with a very frightened P'li on her arm. I smiled and waved at her in a kind way, in the hope she would calm down a bit. She did and even waved back a little. _

_"Come on Hong! let's get you two bathed, before grandma Jo and Grandpa Lee get here, they will be here soon you know?"_

_She smiled as she held her free hand out for me. I beamed at her brightly, really liking the fact that my grandparents were coming over for Christmas, not only because it was fun to be with them, but Also because P'li got to meet them, and I knew they would be very nice to her as well... _

_"mommy... why is daddy refusing to let P'li act like a normal girl?" _

_I asked my mother with a sad look on my face, while she helped me to unclothe and then to bath myself. _

_"I don't know sweaty, your father is just... a very unique man"_

_My mom said while she helped P'li out of the rags that were her clothes and into the hot water as well. But while she did so, she saw P'li had some awful looking bruises on her backside, that I saw as well, when my mom carefully placed her in the water. _

_"P'li... where did you get those bruises?"_

_My mother had asked P'li with a stern look on the young girl. The young girl looked down with a sad look, not knowing for sure if she should tell her the truth ore not... _

_"I...I got them during the training...it's nothing to be worried about..."_

_She stammed, looking down in her lap, stiffing a little when her cold body touched the hot water. I looked at her smiling a bit, believing she told the truth. My mother on the other hand, knew better then to just...__** believe**__ her... and kept asking her things about the training. later she told me this was because she already had a feeling my father was hurting her. _

_"Don't worry miss... their just harmless scratched I got threw training... it's okay..."_

_The young girl said, while my mother helped her to wash up, after I was washed up as well, she let us play in the warm tub for her while, while she got to her room to get P'li some decent clothes. When she came back, she helped P'li in a old Sundays dress she wore when she was around the 19 years old, and even do P'li was only 12 years old at the moment, it fitted like a glove, because P'li was very tall for her age.. _

_"Wow P'li, you look beautiful"_

_I complimented my best friend with a smile on my face, and I meant it. When my mother had brought her in she had looked like one of the street urgings I sometimes saw in town whenever my mom and I got into it to go groggery shopping. But now... she looked like a normal child... except for the facts that she 1. was to tall for a girl of her age and 2. because she had a combustion tattoo on her forehead... But if one would think the tattoo away... She looked like a normal girl...a normal, very tall 12 year old girl in a nice pink dress..._

_"Thanks... "_

_P'li smiled while she looked down at her new dress, probably feeling match better right now as well. I just wanted to open my mouth to make her another compliment, when I heard the doorbell rang downstairs, soon after that I heard my father opening the door and a moment later I record iced the voice of my grandparents! they were here! _

_"Grandma and grandpa! their here!"_

_I beamed at my mother and my new friend. My mother smiled at me and nodded, signing me I could go down to greet them. P'li smiled at me as well, but didn't made a move to follow me down. I smiled back at her with a encouraging look, knowing she was afraid to meet my grandparents, because she didn't knew how they would react at the sight of her. Therefore I let my mom take care of P'li, and stormed down myself, right into the arms of my grandfather. _

_"Hello Hong! my spirits, I didn't record iced you at first! You have become such a big boy! "_

_my grandfather told me smiling. _

_"you look a lot like your daddy when he was your age"_

_My grandmother complimented me, beaming at me brightly. I beamed at her brightly, enjoying the compliment, not knowing what a monster my father was back then. My father smiled at me proudly, proud that his one and only son looked so match like him. This proud smile faded the moment he heard my mother talk to P'li, who still was very scared. _

_"Grandpa and grandma...this is my very best friend P"li, who came to live with us a few moths ago, she is my very best friend and daddy's newest combustion bender soldier"_

_I introduced my new friend, when my mother finally managed to take her down the stairs. My grandmother looked at P'li with widen eyes. P'li, who was still very shy for a girl of her age, quickly hid her face in my mother's shoulder, trying to avoid the annoyed look on my fathers face, because she was acting like normal child of her age. _

_"My spirits! what a pretty girl you are... and so very tall... she looks a lot like you as well as..."_

_My grandmother looked at my mother with a strange look, as well as my father did. I looked at the both of them with a not understanding look. _

_"Thina... is this..."_

_My grandmother suddenly asked my mother with widen eyes. My mother didn't shook her head, nor did she nod, she just looked at P'li with a kind smile on her face. My father looked at P'li with a not understanding look for a while, soon he must have realized something, because he suddenly looked at P'li with a shocked look on his face. P'li... who didn't knew were my grandparents were talking about as match as I did, looked at them both with a confused look, before she quickly hid her face in my mothers shoulder again, because my father looked at her with a angry look on his face. _

_"We... better get into the living room now... we have a loads of presents to open you know?"_

_My grandmother said after everyone was silent for a moment. I nodded and carefully took my mothers free hand and let her and my new friend into the living room to celebrate Christmas..._

_That's how it would go every year from that year on. My parents would argue, My father would give in and let P'li celebrate Christmas with us, only to drag her back into he compound and slap her halfway to death when mom went upstairs with me to tuck me in, one year, the year__** AFTER**__ we first celebrated Christmas with P'li with us, my mom had tried to take her upstairs with me, so she could sleep in a normal beth for once, but my father had told my mother he wanted to discuss something with P'li first, only to find her in her room, all chained up and scared like a wild animal, thanks to my father... Ofcourse my mother had asked my father what he had done to her, my father then always told her she talked back and he lost his temper... do it wasn't true..._

_"She's a human being! and she deserves to be here just as match as you deserve to be here! and If you have a problem with her sharing our home! you can go outside yourself!"_

_My mom had snapped at him every year again, when he complained about the fact that P'li was with us, celebrating the most wonderful time of the year with us... the time of peace and love... only to be whipped halfway to death when mom went upstairs to tuck me in, this went this way until the day I told my mom how my father had threatened and whipped P'li... and my parents divorced... that was the last time I saw P'li..._

_*end flashback*_

I looked at the brown haired girl with a sad look now, feeling very sad about the fact that she was so close by my side now, and In wasn't able to take her away from this hell... back to my mother... the woman that had wanted to give her a home so badly, since the day she laid her eye on P'li... do I didn't understood why back then... now I knew...

"That is...wow... that is very hard,... poor P'li... she must have been devastated when you guys left..."

the brown haired girl said with a sad look on her face. looking at her lap with a sad look on her face.

"Yeah... and back then... I didn't even understood what my mother and grandparents meant with that silence... "

I said with a sad look on my face, remember what my mother told me soon after my parents divorced.

"what... what did the silence mean..."

The brown haired girl now asked stamming, probably because she didn't knew what to expect from people that raised a monster as my father...

"well...that is kind off a... difficult story... that my mother told me soon after we divorced..."

I started the next part of the story, swallowing the lump that formed in my troth, remembering my mothers words like it was yesterday she told me this.

_*flashback* _

_"poor child! she's all alone there! no one will help her... and I just know he's going to take revenge on her for the divorce... I just __**KNOW**__ it... poor child..."_

_my mother said, looking out of the window of our new house. I looked up from the wooden militaries I had been playing with, and looked at my mother with a sad look. _

_"what else could we have done mom... we couldn't take her with us... dad would just... make the police get her back...she's __**HIS**__ weapon after all..."_

_I said with a sad look, noting that it had started to rain. _

_"she isn't __**HIS **__property Hong, she's__** MINE**__... and I want her back... I love her more then that monster could __**EVER**__ understand..."_

_My mother said while she looked out of the window with a sad look. _

_"what do you mean mommy? why is P'li your property? She isn't family... right?"_

_I had asked my mother with a not understanding look on my face. When my mother heard me say this, she looked up, and I could see she had tears in her eyes... _

_"Hong sweetie...there is something,... you need to know..."_

_My mother told me, while she took my in her lap on the bench, just when she wanted to talk again, the doorbell rang. _

_"That was fast..."_

_She mumbles as she got up to open the door. When she came back a black haired man came with her. I was shocked. this man... had the same power as P'li! I could see that, because he had the same tattoo on his forehead. _

_"I came as soon as I got your letter... where is she?"_

_The man asked, looking around for a sign of... whoever he came for... _

_"She's with my former husband... I was about to tell our son... the truth about her past..."_

_My mother said, pointing to the sofa were I was sitting. I quickly crawled back a little, scared from this new man. He was wearing brown rags... over his body... that used to be clothes at one time. He was very tall just like my friend P'li had been with a shot of black hair, hanging down towards his shoulders... and then there was the combustion bending tattoo... if I hadn't seen P'li's parents abandon their only child with my own eyes, I would have believed this had been her father..._

_"Hong... this is Shao Lee... the man I intended to marry... before I met your daddy..." _

_She told me as she sat down next to make and carefully stroke my hair. I looked at her with a not understanding look. Why had she wanted to marry this man first, and then all of a sudden she wanted to marry my dad?... when my mother saw I looked puzzled she smiled at me. But just when she wanted to open her mouth to tell me, the man placed a hand on her knee..._

_"Can we please get her first... then talk...I'm sorry worried about her well being..."_

_the man said, looking at her with a sad look. My mother placed a hand on his, shaking her head with a loving glance in her eyes. _

_"No... my son has the right to know, before we go to get her..."_

_she said, while she looked back at me with a sad look on her face, before she started to tell me her story..._

_*Thina's story* _

_my parents were from a wealthy family, and we lived in the highest rank of Ba Sing Se. because my parents were so wealthy they expected me to marry someone from the highest ring as well, ore at least someone from a wealthy family, like a general ore a high person from the united forces... but instead... I felt head over heels for Shao Lee, a combustion bender... the lowest of the lowest back in those days, since one of their kind tried to kill the avatar once... _

_"My great grand father"_

_Shao Lee said with a sad look on his face. Thina nodded as well, placing a hand on his knee. Well... you can understand my parents got really, really mad at me, when we told them we wanted to get engaged. especially my father, who had hoped I would fall marry your daddy, who was the son of a wealthy warlord. The perfect match for me... he thought..._

_**"I LOVE SHOA LEE! I LOVE HIM MOM AND DAD! SO PLEASE! PLEASE LET ME MARRY HIM!"**_

_I had begged my parents after they send my boyfriend out, without a answer. But my father shook his head with a stern look on his face. _

_"No, he's not good for you, he's poor, he has nothing he can offer you... believe me... this is for the best... you'll understand when your older..."_

_I nodded, pretending to understand, but in my head I already made up my mind, that night, I packed a few of my belongings and snuck out of my parents house, to the house of my boyfriend in the lowest ring of Ba sing se. I lived happily with him for 3 days. 3 __**AMAZING **__days in which I could be with the one I loved the most. in those 3 days we even had sex once... the servants, who wanted nothing more then to see me happy, _

_misled my parents for 3 days. But as soon as that cover was blown, my parents called the police and made them arrest Shao... my parents were furious at me and immediately engaged me to the warlords son, and locked me up in my room, until the day of the wedding, to prevent me from running away again. I looked with tears in my eyes how the police man took Shao away from me forever... I never saw him again... not even at that forced wedding... _

_"they had me banished from the city, because your parents told the police I kidnapped you..." _

_The combustion bender said, looking down sadly again, to hide his tears. my mother nodded in understanding, looking at her lap with tears in her eyes. After 3 months, 6 months before the wedding, I found out I was pregnant. I couldn't hide it from my parents, because I had told them I felt ill..., and immediately asked the doctor what was up with me... they were furious, because he knew very well who the father was... _

_my groom to be, allowed me to have the child on the one condition I would give it up for adoption after it was born... and so it happened... after 9 months... 1 week after the wedding, my parents snuck me to a good hospital outside the city, and payed good to keep the mouths of the doctors shut about this, since this was a shame on the family name... after 9 hours she was born... a pretty little baby girl, with orange eyes and a third closed eye on her forehead, she was screaming, because she was healthy... _

_"she's beautiful... I think I call her..."_

_I started, but my then already husband stopped me. Telling me there was no need to give her a name, because she wasn't __**HIS**__ child... so she wasn't going to stay... _

_"Please honey... can't we say we adopted her out of charity... she isn't going to be a problem, I promise! But please let her stay with me..."_

_I had tried to beg, but my husband didn't wanted to hear another word, telling me I gave my word she would be left for adoption after she was born, and that I now needed to keep that promise. and so... with a heavy hearth I left my daughter behind... for adoption..._

_years later, I had to watch how 2 human beings... just...__** ABANDONED**__ their child, for the money to feed themselves for a while... I was in shock by this cruelness... everything only because she was a combustion bender... just like my daughter should have been...I didn't dared to hope it was her, until that Christmas, when your grandmother and grandfather came... that remark she made opened my eyes... she __**WAS**__ the girl I had been looking for... so I got some of her hairs, out of the comb I had used to do her hair, to make sure she was, and a few weeks before we divorced, I got the answer... _

_Thina said while she hold up the envelope. Carefully I opened the lit, and carefully read what the text said, when I came to the answer, my eyes filled, with tears... She was... she was my half sister... _

_*end of Thina's story* _

_when My mom, her boyfriend and I finally got to the warlords mansion to tell her the truth about her past, it was already to late. my father was death, and P'li was gone... I looked for months, but I never found a trace of my half sister... until now... _

_*end flashback*_

"wow... that is...that is so heavy... that must have been awful for you"

The brunette said, giving me a sad look.

"But what I don't understand is...how could your mother be so sure P'li was her long lost daughter? "

she askes, while she gave a stirring P'li some water to drink. I smiled when I heard this, while I carefully took the envelope my mother had given to me, so long ago out of my pocked and handed it to her, after she was done feeding P'li some water.

"I was prepared for that one, knowing P'li wouldn't believe me either... so I brought this with me..."

I said while I handed her the envelope with a serious look on my face.

"this is the parenting test my mother and** HER **father did, with some hair my mom got out of comb she had used to brush P'li's hair with whenever she was with her"

I said while I watched her open the envelop and look at the test results. When she reached the part were the final conclusion was written down, her eyes widened in shock.

**Femke's POV **

"wow... that is...that is so heavy... that must have been awful for you"

I said in shock and disbelieve. This boy... this Hong lee... who now turned out to be P'li's long lost half brother...

"But what I don't understand is...how could your mother be so sure P'li was her long lost daughter? "

I askes, while I gave a stirring P'li some water to drink. from the corner of my eye I saw he smiled when he heard this, while he carefully took something out of his pocked. After I was sure P'li had enough water for now, I carefully took it over from him. It was a blue envelope with the BD sign on it from the woodvillages... in which I knew was a parenting test...

"I was prepared for that one, knowing P'li wouldn't believe me either... so I brought this with me..."

He said, while he carefully let go of the envelope with a serious look on his face. so I could check the inside...

"this is the parenting test my mother and** HER **father did, with some hair my mom got out of comb she had used to brush P'li's hair with whenever she was with her"

He said, while I carefully opened the lit of the envelope, and checked the parenting test inside it...

we compared the DNA of Thina Diong and Shong Lee, with that of the girl they claimed to be the parents of... bla, bla... difficult talk... after a lot of tests we have come to the final conclusion that...Shong lee and Thina Diong **INDEED ARE** the parents of the girl, named P'li, Julietta Diong-Lee...

My eyes filled with tears of joy when I read this. Because this meant P'li had a family and a half brother...

2 weeks passed since we found out P'li had a half brother, and with that, had a family that missed her. In these 2 weeks Hong lee and I never left P'li's side, unless we needed to go to the toilet. In this weeks we didn't mentioned our findings to P'li, because we knew she wouldn't believe it and only see it as a way to make her talk. That day, 1 week after P'li fully recovered from her fever, one of the guards, who normally keep a safe distance from the cell, came in and told Hong that his mother and stepfather were here to visit him and wanted to talk to P'li as well...

as fast as we could we hurried to the entrance, leaving a confused P'li behind... Just in time to stop Hongs parents from crossing the bridge.

"Mom, dad, you can't go to her yet... I haven't been able to tell it to her yet... since she was ill..."

Hong told them while he walked up to them, I was standing right behind him, and looked at them with a serious look as well

"Has she been ill? How bad was it? How is she now?"

Hongs mother asked with a scared look on her face.

"its okay now, she's fully recovered now, and doing fine... do I didn't have had the time

to tell her the truth about her past yet, since she's still very suspicious "

Hong lee said with a stern look on his parents, who looked at him with sad look, because they really want to talk to their daughter.

"Then I'm going to tell her... I can't stand this any longer..."

Thina said, while she walked past Hong and me, towards the cell.

"I don't think that is a smart idea, she'll think it will be a trick to get her to talk again"

Hong said with a stern voice while he looked back at the cell at the other side of the cliff. I looked back as well and saw P'li was standing before the door of her cell, looking at us with a suspicious look. I gave her a small sign, before I signed to her that everything was okay. P'li nodded, but I saw she was still suspicious, and I couldn't blame her... it was strange we suddenly left to talk with people she doesn't even knows... ore doesn't record ices anymore... in her position I would also think this is odd.

"Ore that their from the white lotus, and want to know how match she told yet"

I thought while I looked at Hong and his family again with a sad look.

"Hong... I think it's for the best we tell her... from the looks of it... she isn't trusting this conversation at all..."

I said while I took a step closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Hong looked at me with a shocked look, before he looked back at the prison cell as well and sighted...

"Your probably right... and If we don't explain were this conversation about... she will never trust us again...I understand but..."

He looked at his mother and stepfather with a sad look, before he looked at me again with tears in his eyes.

"it's so hard to tell her... after all these years..."

he said before he took a few steps towards the flat elevator, that would take him to P'li...

"your going to be fine... I'm sure she's going to believe you..."

I said, while raising my thumb towards him. He raised his thumb up to me as well, while he stepped on the flat elevator again... that would take him to his half sister...

**and with that said, I end the episode. Sorry it is so long, but I needed these 2 flashbacks to explain more about P'li's past, since they didn't revealed anything about that in the series, except for the fact that Zaheer saved her from a evil warlord that tried to make a killing machine out of her... **

**A/N **

**P'li is only 1 year older then her half brother Hong lee. **

**Shao lee is the great grand son of sparky, sparky boom man (who in my stories) will have a wife and a son at home. **

**next up will be the shocking truth about P'li's past! **

**keep reading and don't forget to **

**REVIEUW! **


	6. Chapter 6: the truth

chapter 6: The truth

**Hong lee's POV**

2 weeks passed since I Told Femke P'li was my half sister and with that, had a family that missed her. In these 2 weeks she and I never left P'li's side, unless we needed to go to the toilet. In this weeks we didn't mentioned our findings to P'li, because we knew she wouldn't believe it and only see it as a way to make her talk. That day, 1 week after P'li fully recovered from her fever, one of the guards, who normally keep a safe distance from the cell, came in and told me that my mother and stepfather were here to visit me and wanted to talk to P'li as well...

as fast as I could I hurried to the entrance, femke following me closely, leaving a confused P'li behind... Just in time to stop my parents from crossing the bridge.

"Mom, dad, you can't go to her yet... I haven't been able to tell it to her yet... since she was ill..."

I told them while I walked up to them, femke was standing right behind me, and looked at them with a serious look as well

"Has she been ill? How bad was it? How is she now?"

my mother asked with a scared look on her face.

"its okay now, she's fully recovered now, and doing fine... do I didn't have had the time to tell her the truth about her past yet, since she's still very suspicious "

I said with a stern look on his parents, who looked at me with sad look, because they really want to talk to their daughter.

"Then I'm going to tell her... I can't stand this any longer..."

my mother said, while she walked past me and femke, towards the cell.

"I don't think that is a smart idea, she'll think it will be a trick to get her to talk again"

I said with a stern voice while I looked back at the cell at the other side of the cliff. I saw femke looked back as well and we both saw P'li was standing before the door of her cell, looking at us with a suspicious look. I saw femke gave her a small sign, before she signed to her that everything was okay. P'li nodded, but I think saw she was still suspicious, as well as I saw that. and I don't think neither of us could blame her... it was strange we suddenly left to talk with people she doesn't record ices anymore... since my mom chanced a lot since the last time P'li saw her...

"Mostly because she was so worried about her well being... but still..."

I thought while I looked at my mother and stepfather again with a small smile. I saw Femke kept looking at P'li, then... suddenly she turned back to us, and I could she was looking just as worried as I was about the situation at hand.

"Hong... I think it's for the best we tell her... from the looks of it... she isn't trusting this conversation at all..."

Femke said while she took a step closer to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her with a shocked look, before I looked back at the prison cell as well and sighted...

"Your probably right... and If we don't explain were this conversation about... she will never trust us again...I understand but..."

I looked at my mother and stepfather with a sad look, before I looked at her again with tears in my eyes.

"it's so hard to tell her... after all these years..."

I said before I took a few steps towards the flat elevator, that would take me to P'li...

"your going to be fine... I'm sure she's going to believe you..."

Femke said, while raising my thumb towards me. I smiled at her now and raised my thumb up to her as well, while I stepped on the flat elevator again... that would take me to my half sister... to tell her the truth... at long last...

when I re-entered the cell, P'li looked at me with a stern look, not trusting me at all after Femke and I suddenly left without a explanation and stood not far from the cell, whispering with two people, 1 she doesn't knows and 1 she maybe doesn't record iced...

"Why did you run off all of a sudden? And why didn't you let those people come near to me? "

She asked with a distrusting voice. I looked at her with a sad look, knowing this was going to be very hard.

"Well... they are..."

I started, signing while I sat down on her beth, patting on the place next to me to indicate she has to sit down next to me.

"Yes..."

She said, while she sat down next to me, placing a hand on my knee, looking at me with a sad look.

"The woman is my mother, and the man is her new husband... she remarried after she divorced fromShong"

I said, looking threw the window to see were my parents were now. I saw Femke was talking with them now, while they waited for me to finish. I smiled at them, then took a deep breath, preparing for the things to come...

**P'li's POV**

When Hong lee and Femke suddenly left the cell I had a bad feeling in my stomach, that something bad was going to happen. And this feeling was confirmed when I saw Femke and Hong talk to 2 strangers, do 1 of them looked kind of familiar.

_**"Wait a sec! The woman is hongs mom!**__ ... but... the man isn't her husband Shong ... I wonder... did she remarry after they divorced..."_

I thought while I studied her face. She was looking a lot happier then last time I saw her, match older as well, but I had grown older as well... that was just something normal... But she looked like she had been threw a lot as well... she had a lot more ripples around her eyes, then she had before, maybe it also was because she was getting older, but I think it might be worries as well...

"I wonder were she have been so worried about all this time... probably not about me... I meant nothing to..."

I stopped in the midst of the thought when I saw Hong re-entered the cell, looking at me with a troubled face, from which I knew something was up...and It most likely meant something bad for me... a troubled look on his fathers face had also always meant bad news for me... so I knew this was bad news for me as well...

"Why did you run off all of a sudden? And why didn't you let those people come near to me? "

I asked with a distrusting voice. Hong now looked at me with a sad look, knowing I wasn't going to take it easy on him...

"Well... they are..."

he started, signing while he sat down on my beth, patting on the place next to him to indicate I has to sit down next to me.

"Yes..."

I said with a softer voice now, while she sat down next to him, placing a hand on his knee, while looking at him with a sad look.

"The woman is my mother, and the man is her new husband... she remarried after she divorced fromShong"

He told me as fast as he could, just to get over with it.. I looked at him with a smile, since I had already record iced his mother... and I was also happy to hear she remarried a **NICE** man and was probably happy now.

"if it is your mom... why didn't you allow her to come and... and say hello... I would love to see her again... "

I said trying to prevent myself from sounding worried, because I was. I hadn't seen her for so long, and I really wanted to see her again... so I was worried as to why he didn't wanted her to get any closer to me.

"Because... well... you remember that first Christmas with my family... when my grandparents and parents felt silence for a second?"

He asked all of a sudden. Looking at me with a mysterious look. I nodded, still remembering that awkward silence in the house, as well as the strange look the warlord had given me... as if he had realized something...

"well... have you ever wondered** WHY** they felt silence all off a sudden?"

He now asked. I looked at him with a pondering look, before I shook my head. I had always just thought that it had been because I was "just a weapon" celebrating Christmas with them, while she should be all alone... locked up... like this...

"Well... I later found out why it was... but your probably not going to believe ..."

"Just spit it out already!" I snapped at him with a stern look, while slapping him on the back of his head, not liking to wait for a answer...

"okay then, you can come in now guys..."

He called towards the door, and there... before my eyes... his mother came in together with... I gasped when I finally could take a good look at the man hongs mom married after she finally rid herself of that monster that was the warlord...

_**"HE IS A COMBUSTION BENDER! JUST LIKE ME!"**_

I immediately realized, when I saw the tattoo on his head. The man also saw I was looking at his forehead, but instead of immediately putting something over it in shame, he smiled and looked at his wife with a smile as well.

"P'li... I know your not going to believe me but... these are your real parents...The people that left you at my dads adopted you after my father ordered my mom to leave you... because **HE** wasn't your father"

Hong said with a sad look, while he pointed to his mother and the combustion bender man, standing next to her.

"You know what that means... right?"

He asked me now. I nodded... fully understanding what he meant... he was my half brother... but I shouldn't be...** it** **COULDN'T BE**! I saw my parents... I have seen photo's of when I was just a baby... how could it be they weren't my biologic parents?

_"do It is weird how little you looked like them... and they only had photo's of you when you were a 2 months days old baby... were are the photo's of your birth?"  
_  
A voice in my head said. I looked at them again, realizing it was true, they had only had photo's of me from when I was already 3 weeks old, nothing from before that.

_"That is because were so ashamed of you! we burned them all!"_

They had told me once when I had asked them if there were anymore baby photo's of me in the house.

_"maybe this explains why there weren't anymore photo's! because you weren't __**THEIR **__child!"_

the voice continued now. I looked at hongs mom now, and the man who Hong claimed it was my dad...He looked at me with a sad look, his orange eyes full of tears, orange eyes... **JUST LIKE MINE**...

"you can't be... my parents are gone forever..."

I snapped at them, trying to hide how match I was questioning this, because they both looked a lot like me, the people that dumped me at the warlords place didn't...

"We aren't... were right here for you sweaty"

Hongs mom said, while she hid her face in her husbands shoulder. The man carefully patted her on her shoulder to console her, then carefully let go of her and walked over to me and Hong, who was still sitting on the side of the beth.

"P"li...I know you don't record nice me... because I wasn't there when you were born... but..."

He sat down next to me now, between me and Hong, looking me straight into the eye now.

"But believe me... you mean the world too me... and I hoped to see you again, ever since your mom told me you were born"

He said, looking at me so seriously... I have never seen a man so serious as he looked at me now, and believe me.,... I have seen a** LOT** of serious faces in my life...

I turned away my face now, not wanting to look at him, fearing I would make the mistake of crying if I did.

'" P'li... honey... look me in the eye... Look me in the eye and tell me you see I'm not lying to you... lying when I say... your my daughter... and I love you... with all my hearth..."

He said, while he cupped my head so I had no choice then to look him, in the eye,

when he said that he loved me with all his hearth, I saw that tears started to form in

his eyes...

_"it can't be... come on P'li... think about your friends... this can't be real... they can't be really here... after all these years...after all the waiting and the suffering and the..."_

I stopped in the midst of my thoughts, when tears started to flow over my face, knowing far match better then to believe those thoughts... I have been alone and abused for so long... and now... the one thing I waited for, for such a long time finally happened...

_"They are here... their really... truly here..."  
_  
I thought, finally giving in to the urge to hug this man... my father...

"Daddy..."

I sobbed while I hugged my father, for the very first time able to call someone "daddy" I saw the man started to cry as well now, not because he was crying this time, but because he was happy I was with him... He was happy to have me as a daughter...

"at last... I have you honey... I'm here now... everything is going to be fine..."

He cried while he carefully rubbed my back to console me. My mother... sat down by our side as well now, crying as well, as she carefully took my in her lap, so they could both hug me.

"mom..."

I sobbed, smiling, thinking how funny it was that hongs mom was my mom as well now.

"your going to be fine now sweaty, I promise... were here now and were** NEVER **getting separated again... "

She said, while she carefully stroke my hair, then giving me a kiss on my cheek.

"well... we have 1** BIG** problem in that..."

Hong said, while he pointed to the door, were the white lotus guards stood, snickering at the sight of me being hugged and kissed by my parents... I looked at them as well and stuck out my tong at them, signing them to mind their own business.

"well... they **DID **promise to let her go... if she would tell the white lotus everything she knew about the group she joined... and what they wanted to do with the avatar once they had her..."

A voice said, coming from out of the corner. I looked up startled, only to sign in

relieve when I saw it was Femke, standing in the doorway, together with lord Zuko, chieftains Sokka and Unalaq, Waterbending master Katara and the avatars dad...

"come on P'li... you wanne stay in jail for the rest of your life because of friends that brought you in this hell... ore go home... with your family... who would love to care for you now they found you at last... "

she said, smiling at my parents who smiled at her as well, while they hold me close to their hearths...

"I don't know... my friends meant so match to me... if it hadn't been for them... warlord Shong would still have me in his grip... ore worse..."

I said while holding my hands between my head, because this was all very confusing for me. I saw master Katara looked at me with a kind smile now, looking at the other people around with a warm smile, before she whispered something in the ear of the father of the avatar.

**"NO WAY! THEIR FAR TO DANGEROUS!"**

the man exclaimed, looking at the woman with a shocked look.

"not all of them... The... non bender... Zaheer I believe his name was... was your boyfriend... right? "

She asked me with a kind smile. I nodded, not thinking it was the least strange she picked that up so easily, since she wasn't a waterbender only, she had been young herself... she must have a lot of experience with this...

"Yes... we've been in love... well... ever since he saved me from Shong..."

I admitted smiling, remembering the day he saved me at long last, and learned me what true freedom was.

"maybe we can let him come over, so she has someone she can ask advice of that isn't white lotus... ore woodvillages..."

She said while she gave femke a small smile, indicating she meant her... which meant my feelings had been right... she wasn't a white lotus member... therefore... a true friend...

"No... he's the leader of the Red lotus... I know he's going to say I have to keep my mouth shut..."

I said, before clapping my hands before my mouth in shock... since I had just told them the name of our gang without realizing I did it...

"The red... Lotus... Like the white lotus..."

Chieftain Sokka now asked with a confused look on his face

. I nodded, looking down, feeling like I was betraying my friends for my own good...

even do I already told Femke a **BIG** part of my story...

"P'li... don't get mad... but... I showed them my notebook... Chieftain Sokka... you already knew the name... and the biggest part of her story..."

She admitted while she hold up the notebook. I narrowed my eyes at her, feeling slightly betrayed by the fact that she had told them everything I had told her, but at the other hand... now I didn't have to repeat my whole story... which would make things match easier for me...

"well... then... I guess I should go on with the story from where I left off"

I said, while I carefully hold on to my mother, before I started to talk again...

And with that I end Yet another chapter!

Ghazan: aaaaawn! P'li found her parents... that is so sweet

Ming: -slaps the back of his head- your being al whiny again...

Zaheer: wait... does the fact that she found her parents mean... she's going to betray us...

P"li: well eeeeeeehm... eeeeeehm... -coughs-

Me: only one way to find that out Zaheer! and that is to** KEEP READING! **

**THANKS FOR READING!  
**

**REVIEUW! **


	7. Chapter 7- fire- P'li's story- part 2

_Chapter 7: Fire- P'li's story part 2 _

_When I woke up again, I was back in my room in the warlords compound. I tried to move but I was chained to the wall for some odd reason. First I thought it all had been a dream... But then It all came back to me... they had struck us from above were even Ming Hua hadn't been able to see them coming... they had us... _

_"No... This can't be happening to me..."___

_I thought moaning while trying to take another position. I felt very weak, like I had been using my combustion bending all day without any meals, and my back was hurting like Hell... _

_"Zaheer... were are you... you promised I would be safe from now on..."_

_I thought while looking around, hoping that they were with me right now, discussing a escape plan, but they weren't... they were gone... maybe forever... and it was all my fault... _

_"spirits why cant you just let me escape and become happy!"_

_I thought now, feeling angry and sad at once. I knew I was going to lose my first and only friends... I made them admit their criminals... and criminals get killed... _

_"I wish I could have one last look at them, before it's all over..."___

_I bitterly thought now. I was startled when I heard the crack of the metal lock on my door open and there was __**HE**__... the warlord. He looked at me with a awful smirk on his face while walking towards me with the whip in his hands.. _

_"This will be a glorious day, __**YOU **__will be the one that will rid the world of the most dangerous treat to the avatar's safety... the red lotus..."_

_He said while pulling me to my feed, locking my hand and feet together before he pushed me in the back to walk. I tried to refuse now, I didn't wanted to kill them... they were my friends... they had been nice to me... _

_**"NO! I don't do it! their my friends! I won't let you kill them! "**___

_I screamed while trying to kick around. Two guards were needed to grab my around my waist and hold me down so the warlord would whip me again, but this time I didn't mind... this was good, it meant I didn't have to kill my friends. And even do I knew they wouldn't be spared if I didn't killed them, I knew I wouldn't be the one that had to see them look at me in fear one last time before I would have to..._

_"Don't do it! don't think back to that moment... you had no choice back then and now you have..."__  
_

_I thought to myself while I thought about Zaheer, the first time he smiles at me... the normal conversation we had around the campfire... the one time I didn't had to be afraid to tell him what was on my mind, without having to be afraid someone would whip me when I told them I didn't wanted to do something..._

_"__and now, I will never see him again... and that is all my fault..."_

_I thought while I wiped a tear from my face and looked at the warlord who ordered a guard to stay by my door at all cost. _

_"No food and water for her for..."_

_he didn't finished his sentence, instead a gurgling sound could be heard. I sat up and looked at the door with a frightened look when I heard this. After that I heard a scream and soon water started to get all around the door that locked me into this room.. The water turned into ice that broke open the jammed door, so that the armless waterbender could get in, followed by the earthbender boy and... Zaheer... his face bowing over mine was the last thing I saw before I finally passed out. _

_When I woke up the first thing I saw was Zaheer sitting on the side of the beth I was lying on... __**A BETH!**__ I tried to get up to look around me but I was to weak to make even _

_the slightest move. _

_"Calm down, your okay... we got you out and your __**NEVER**__ going back..."  
_

_Zaheer said as he rubbed a wet cloth over my face. I smiled up at him, feeling relieved that he was with me again... and not because I had to kill him... But I wasn't so sure about the warlord not coming after us again... that man was persistent, ambitious and rich... with his money it would be no problem to get the slave back that run from him, as well as the three people that helped her escape. _

_"how can you be sure he won't be a treat again... that we will be safe from now on? I mean... we got away but... as long as he's alive... we will__** NEVER**__ be truly safe..."_

_Zaheer smiled sadly when he heard me say this. _

_"Your__** TRULY**__ free now...Ming hua took care of the warlord that kept you prisoner"_

_"Took care"... I looked down for a few seconds, looking at him with big shocked eyes when I finally realised what he meant with that... _

_"You... You mean... you...she...Killed him..."_

_I asked __stamming__ a little, trying to keep the shock and horror out of my voice. Not fully comp renting what he had just said. at one hand I was happy he was death and could never harm me again... but at the other hand I didn't wanted Hong and his mother to think I was the one that killed him, since they had been the only 2 persons in the world that had been kind enough to share their home with me, even if it had only been at Christmas... _

_"yes, do You don't seems to be very happy about it"_

_Zaheer noted with one look at my face, probably expected me to jump in joy when I heard the man that abused me for so long was death, and In a way it was strange... I had to admit that,... But I just couldn't... since he was the father of someone who had been very dear to me... I told this to Zaheer as well, who listened carefully, a smile playing on his lips, while I told him how Hongs Mom always let me in at Christmas eve, then washed me, fed me and held me... like I was her own child... even if it had only been at Christmas... and then there had been Hong... who always played with me whenever he had time to spare, and even do his father forbade him to make contact with his "weapon" Zaheer nodded in understanding every now and then, and when I finished he smiled at me kindly. _

_"your a good soul P'li... I can see that, but did you ever wonder WHY she only helped you only on Christmas even and not outside of that specific feast?"_

_He asked me with a stern look. I shook my head, not knowing anything about these feasts at all... _

_"Christmas is the feast of peace and love,... the time your being nice to everybody... even the once you hate... ore fear the most... and the son... well... "_

_He said with a sad look down on the ground, shaking his head in dismay. I shivered in fear, hoping he wouldn't order Ming hua to kill him as well, since I really ,really liked him _

_"well, we better hope his mom can still prevent him from becoming the man his father was..."_

_He sighed at last. I nodded, hoping as well, that Hong wouldn't become the monster his father was, because things would end bad for him as well if he did... Zaheer must have noticed I looked sad about this, because he carefully placed a hand on my knee, while he sat down on the side of my beth. _

_"don't worry, I'm sure his mother can convince him to stay on the good side"_

_He said s1miling at me kindly, thanks to which he looked very handsome in my eyes, under his short black hair and his crimson collared eyes..._

_"so... eeeeeehm... how is you back doing now... still in a lot of pain?"_

_He asked to chance the subject, feeling just as awkward under this situation as I was..._

_"Match better to be honest... someone must have health me... did you do it by any chance?"_

_I asked him, looking at him with a questioning look. _

_"No... I'm not a bender... to bad..."_

_He said while shaking his head, feeling slightly ashamed of the fact that he wasn't a bender, even do I wasn't sure Ghazan was a bender. I knew Ming hua was a bender for sure since she had carried water with her the last time I saw her. _

_"I'm the only nonbender in the team, Ghazan is a very special earthbender... he can Lava bend... "_

_He said with a smile, when he saw the stunned look on my face. _

_"Lava... wow... well... don't be ashamed of being a non bender... I wish I was born as a nonbender... then I could go home without having to be afraid to get sold again..."_

_I said looking down sadly. I could feel Zaheer understood how I must have felt to be sold against my will, by my __**OWN PARENTS!**__ because he smiled at me kindly, while he placed one hand on my match larger one, the other one in my neck, the one place the warlord never hit me..._

_"I know you must have felt awfully alone all this time... but... I want you to know... your not alone anymore... if there is anything you need... just say it... okay..."_

_asked me smiling while holding out his hand for me. I nodded, grabbing his hand with a smile on my face, feeling a lot better already, not only because I had been healed , but also because I had friends now... _

_"Also... If you hadn't been sold... I would never have met you... and I really think... that would have been a shame..."_

_He murmured while looking at his lap with a sad look, only to look up with a face as red as a tomato when he saw I was smiling at him playfully. _

_"wait... did I say the last part out loud just now?"_

_He asked me with a head more red then someone who swallowed a chilli pepper. I nodded, looking away a bit red as well. I wasn't used to be treated kind... and to be treated like a more then... just a friend... was something I had only seen in the storybooks Hong showed me in his spare time with me... and I never would have thought someone would ever look at me that way..._

_"well then... I think this won't be a surprise"_

_He smiled, blushing a bit, while he reached forward and kissed me full on my mouth, I looked at him in shock for a second, not knowing what to do... when I got over the first shock, I let my instincts take over... it was a amazing feeling..._

_a few years passed since that fateful first kiss, 6 years to be precise. In these 6 years I learned even more about my powers from master Xai bau, the leader of the red lotus. but unlike Diego, I was never beaten by him, ore called names. It felt in 1 word: __**AMAZING! **__ I had never imagined I would be happy like this when I still lived with Warlord Shong... and now... here I was! I had 3 amazing friends... a home were I could be truly happy... and a boyfriend! You heard that right! Zaheer and I got together a few years after we met! At first we kept our distance, first because we were unsure about our feelings, even do the first kiss had been very passionate. After we found out we really wanted to be together like this, we kept it as secret, because we didn't wanted to force Ming Hua and Ghazan to be together all the time. But after 2 good years of dating and getting to know each other better, we finally took the big step and told our fellow team members _

_"You see! I knew he has a secret thing with her!"_

_Ghazan smirked when we told him and Ming hua the happy news. Ming hua just growled annoyed and disappeared threw a door, to another part of the building. I knew this was because Ghazan had a secret crush on Ming hua, but was to afraid of his feelings to tell her and Ming was... just... just being her normal grumpy self... even do she refused to admit... she liked him as well, and was pissed he didn't had the courage to tell her the truth..._

_2 years after Zaheer and I admitted our feelings for each other the message of avatar aangs death passed threw the 4 nations, and not match later, claim after claim came to the chieftains of both water tribes from parents that believed , that __**THEIR **__child was the new avatar, we kept a close eye on this claims, waiting for the day the true parents of the new avatar would appear with their child, so we could take it.. but none came, until 5 years after avatar aang passed away..._

_*end flashback * _

"wow... so you two admitted your feeling for each other very soon huh... must have been nice"

my father said with a teasing smile, while poking his daughter in the side, to tickle her.

"Dad... that's just... how things were back then..."

I smiled at him, while poking him back. The older man seemed to enjoy I was teasing him back, so I kept tickling him, until we both felt back on the beth launching. I saw Femke smiled at us, before she looked back at Unalaq who was standing far away in the back, knowing what would come next, and since non of us liked him, and I wanted to tell the honest truth from now on, so they would let me go home with my family... I smirked at him, so everyone looked at him as well.

"what's the matter Unalaq, you don't wanne hear how **YOU** told us were to find the young avatar?" 

I snapped at him smirking. Now they all looked at him with a shocked look, Unalaq didn't waited for them to recover, and immediately ran for it.

"after him guards! that man is a traitor!"

Sokka exclaimed, when he saw, Unalaq already was standing on the distractible bridge, but by the time he reached the other side the guards were already waiting for him and in a matter of minutes they had overpowered him.

"Not only a traitor, also a viper, he was the one that ordered those criminals to lead you into the spirit forest mister Tonraq... it was his fault you were banished so he could take the throne..."

I admitted with a stern look, while the guards took Unalaq back to the group, and kept a strong hold on him, while I continued my story.

_*flashback*_

_"good to see you all"_

_The now crown prince said, while he let us into his private quarters, closing the door behind him, after he checked if no one had seen us with him, since this discussion had to stay a secret at all cost. _

_"It's good to see you again as well Unalaq, I see my plan to get you on the throne worked"_

_Zaheer said, while the two man gave each other a friendly pat on the back. _

_"Yes, your idea had been brilliant... Tonraq couldn't resist the urge to protect his country and with that destroyed the spirit forest, angering the spirits...and leaving our father with no choice then to banish him..."_

_The young waterbender said, while he looked at the rest of us smiling, his eyes rested on me as last and he smirked at Zaheer in a friendly way._

_"and I see you added a new member to the group... without informing me.."_

_He said with a stern look, causing me to hide behind his back, scared. Even do I had been free for 8 years now, I still was very shy around new people, the other knew that and kept a close eye on me, helping me to get over this fear the best they could. This time it hadn't been fear that caused me to jump back, it had been because of how he looked... something in his eyes just told me... he wasn't trustworthy. _

_"yeah... sorry about that... This is P'li... she's a combustion bender we saved from warlord Diego 8 years ago... "_

_Zaheer introduced me, looking back at me smiling kindly, to sign to me he was okay. I nodded and came out of hiding, pulling my arms around his waist lovingly. _

_"and don't forget to mention were in relationship honey... he might get mad about that as well if he finds out later..."_

_I teased him now._

_"yeah, we sure are"_

_He smiled, kissing me. I beamed at me brightly while I kissed him back._

_"okay well... There is also bad news, Tonraq is the father of the avatar now"_

_Unalaq said, while he got a map out of his pocked, on which the location of the village The new avatar and her parents lived. _

_"Then were going there...to take her...we need her to open the portals and release vaatu...then the world will go back to the natural order... disorder..."_

_Zaheer said while he looked at the rest of the gang with a serious look. We all nodded in agreement, knowing this was what the red lotus was meant to do... bringing the natural order, namely Disorder, back to this world, by taking out all world leaders... _

_"I'm sorry I can't join you... I have some business I need to attend to here..."_

_Unalaq said with a smirk on his face. I didn't smirked back, since I didn't `trusted him at all, not even now I knew for sure he was on our side. _

_"we'll let you know once we have her, and found a good location to keep her"_

_Zaheer replied, while both man shook hands, and after we said our goodbyes, we left the room, not knowing that would be the last time we would see him in a long time... the 7 years I have been isolated in this cold... hell..._

_*end flashback* _

Once the last memories faded away, I looked at Femke with a sad look. She looked at me with a sad look as well, once she wrote down the last things.

"Lies! There all lies!"

Chief Unalaq grunted with a stern look on me. I looked at him with a firm look, while I shook my head.

"No... I spoke the full truth... you have to believe me... Zaheer brought him on the idea and he did it... all to gain power..."

I said while I looked at femke with a pleading look, pleading for her to believe me.

"I believe you... I must admit... I didn't trusted him as well the moment I saw him.."

I said with a stern look at the others who looked at me sternly as well, before they all nodded at each other and then looked at Unalaq.

"take him to a cell, until were done here"

Chief Sokka said while he concentrated at Femke and me again. I sat down next to her parents now and looked at her with a sad smile.

"What I don't understand is... how were they able to..."

She started. her line with widen eyes. I smiled at her, understanding what she wanted to ask.

"well... first off it was 5 against 4... and second off... Sokka knew how to defeat me..."

I said looking down with a sad look, remembering the feeling of my combustion bending turning against myself and my best friends...since Ming and Ghazan had been next to me too help me out.

"When I woke up again,... the battle was over... we lost... we lost because I had knocked out my friends...If I had been the only one knocked out we could escape... now we couldn't... since I already wore this metal thing over my tattoo..."

I said, feeling a sob in my troth, when I told her this. I had been useless in the most important battle we had to fight... Worse... I had knocked out my team members... my friends... the ones that had saved me from Shong and tried to protect me at all cost...

"it's okay P'li... you couldn't help it...I should have known he knew how to knock out a combustion bender..."

He had told me in the truck, that was meant to be our cell, until they made special separated cells for us. I knew he only said that to make me feel better, so it didn't lifted up my mood match...

"Don't worry, I will get us out of here, you will see, before you know it were free again..."

That had been the last thing he said to me before they separated us. All 3 of them had fought back to stay together, but in vain...

"I'm sure their all in placed were their elements are repressed just like mine here..."

I told her, while I looked from femke to the world leaders, that nodded, confirming my thoughts threw the 7 years of being locked up all alone here.

"The water bender is in a volcanic cell somewhere in the fire nation, the earthbender is in a floating wooden cell somewhere in the sea and the non bender is in a lonely cell somewhere in the earth kingdom"

The former Firelord told me with a kind smile. I looked at him with a stern look, before I clung to my fathers robes, half crying, thinking about my friends, all alone in their cells, while I sat her with my parents, happily chatting with the ones that were meant to keep me locked in her.

"And I presume... they brought you here immediately after you guys were captured..."

Femke half asked half whispered, probably because she was close to crying herself as well.

"No... they kept me in a freezing cell in the boiling rock for a long time, until they finished building this cell, then... one day... they drugged my food to knock me out... when I woke up I was here..."

I told them, while I held on to my father for dear life, scared I would lose him as well when I would let go, just like I lost my friends when I let go of them...

"don't worry sweaty, I'm sure you will be able to visit them sometime..."

my father said, kissing me. I nodded, but soon realized this would never happen, they would never allow me to, when I realized this I started to sob in my fathers chest.

"It's okay honey... were going to see what we can do to help you... "

He said while he hugged me. From the corner of my eye I could see my mother nodded as well and my brother grinned at me encouragingly.

"I only have this left from them..."

I sobbed, while I got a picture from beneath my pillow were I kept it for a long time.

"this one is made on the day we visited Unalaq in the royal palace... I'm the one in the middle, Ming hua is the armless waterbender next to me... The rough looking boy with the moustache is Ghazan..."

I said while I pointed them out on the picture, that was **DEFAINTLY** taken in the throne room of the royal palace ...

"and the boy next to you,... the one with the scar over his eyebrow?"

Femke asked, pointing to the boy standing next to me, grinning into the camera, his one arm around me.

"That's my boyfriend... that's Zaheer..."

I said looking at him lovingly, since I was still in love with him, even do I betrayed him... and he probably didn't wanted to see me again...

"I see... you miss him a lot... don't you?"

The brunette asked me with a kind smile. I nodded trying to wipe the tears from my face, but they kept coming. Hong saw this as well and handed me a handkerchief with red flowers on it.

"Thanks"

I smiled at him before I blew my nose and wiped the tears from my face.

"I wish I could do something,... anything... so you guys could meet again... and talk this threw..."

Femke said with a wishful look on her face. I saw the world leaders gave each other a understanding look now, before they turned to master Katara.

"Master Katara... do you think it is possible... we have a place they can meet up... without **ANY **of them escaping..."

Lord Zuko asked with a playful smile on his lips. I looked from the old Firelord to the waterbending master with a hopeful look in my eyes.

"No... but I'm quit sure the white lotus can** MAKE** a place like that"

The old waterbending master said, while she turned to look at the remaining world leaders.

"I know what you all think... this is** FAR** too dangerous... but see... she had feelings as well... and they have the right to hear out of **HER** mouth she is leaving the group and why... "

Katara said while she gave me a understanding look. I nodded in agreement, hoping it was enough for the world leaders to see I was being honest with them.

"I'm not convinced this is a good idea... but if you insist mother... we will see what we can do"

The airbending master said, before he turned around and left, together with the other world leaders, leaving me alone with my parent and Femke...

"Thank you all... now I at least get to explain why I'm going to desert my friends...this is going to be great..."

I thought while I felt my mother took my over from my father and started to lull me to sleep...

**Zaheer: what the... YOU JUST TOLD THEM EVERYTHING! **

**-P'li hides- **

**me: Relax Zaheer, she has the right to choose for her parents... and you know that...**

**Ghazan: You know... I would have done the same in her shoes **

**Ming hua: if you still HAD parents -she snaps at him- **

**P'li: so... now we just have to... sit back and wait for the next chapter  
Zaheer: REVIEUW BEFORE I SUFFECADE SOMEONE! **

**THANKS FOR READING **

**REVIEUW **


	8. Chapter 8: meeting again

chapter 8: Meeting again

**P'li's POV**

after the white lotus left that day, things became a lot better for me. My parents were allowed to visit me every day. and Femke and Hong were allowed to bring me better food and later also a new dress. I never wore a dress before, so I looked at it with a strange look when I first saw it, but when my mother explained most normal girls wore these were I was going to live later on I carefully tried it on...

"comfy... do it still feels a little strange..."

I said once it put it on. My mother smiled at me while she helped me with the zipper on the back of my dress.

"You will get used to it... believe me... I got used to it as well"

My mother said smiling while she put on my shoes and hugged me, before she gave me a arm and let me out of the cell... for the for the first time in what felt like ages! The guards looked at me with a stern look, but since they had their orders from the new Chief of the northern water tribe (Unalaq confessed and was replaced by Tonraq soon after they took him away) they didn't tried to keep me locked inside. I looked around curiously while the flat elevator brought us to the other side. The place this prison was made in one word: Enormous! we must be very deep below the ice, because the roof was very far above us, some metal bars were placed between the layers of snow to prevent the walls from collapsing.

_"Must be out of experience they use those to prevent a collapse... maybe during the building of this place..."_

I thought while the flat elevator landed on the other side with a loud "_**Thud" **_sound. I smiled, looking back at my former cell, knowing I wouldn't see it again... Unless Zaheer knew a way to force me to stay in that cell until he found a way to free us all...

_"No, he wouldn't! I'm sure Zaheer will be happy I found my family at long last!"_

I thought while my mother greeted my father with a kiss, then looked at me with a strange look.

"Hey... who is that pretty girl you brought with you?"

He asked my mother teasingly while he rubbed me over my hair, causing it to become even messier then it had been before.

"Daaad, you know it's me...teaser..."

I said while I stuck out my tong at him teasingly.

"I know...you look absolutely beautiful in that dress sweetheart"

father complimented me, while we went upstairs with the elevator.

"Thanks Dad ... I ... I'm not sure I deserve so, after everything I've done ... but I want you to know that I ... really, really appreciate ... "

I stammered a bit shy. My father smiled at me while my mother lay an arm around me and kissed me gently.

"You deserve this baby ... after all you've been through, you really deserve this ..."

she said kissing me again, I felt tears streaming down my face, since no one had every told me this before, making me feel like they knew what I have been thought... And I knew my mother new, because she had been there. And she might have told my father everything after they met up, so he would know what I have been thought as well.

"Thank you... for everything..."

I whispered smiling, thankfully for the fact that they had came for her at long last, and now they even wanted to come with me to tell my friends the good news, which would be bad for them... but she couldn't care any longer... she wanted her parents to be with her more then anything in the world... even more then her friends...

"Their here... all 3 of them... good luck in there..."

The guard said with a kind smile. I nodded at him kindly as well, knowing this was it... there was no turning back now...

"your coming in with me... right?"

I asked my parents with a unsure look on my face, fearing I had to face them on my own...

"If you want so... were coming with you honey..."

my father said with a kind smile, while he and my mother hugged me tightly. I smiled, happy they were coming with me, since this wasn't going to be easy...

**RED LOTUS POV **

"Here is P'li "

the guard announched, zaheer looked up smiling, he hadn't seen his girlfriend in 10 years, and he been very suprised when the 4 of them were allowed to see each other, under very trict conditions ofcourse... But zaheer looked op even more suprised when 2 people looking very simmilliar to P'li came in... and P'li... she looked beatifull... she wore a old styled white dress, and looked like she was well cared for the past few days... at one hand I was very happy for her to see her like that, but at the same time I felt my stomatch twich... like... something bad was gonna happen...

"p'li... you... you look beatifull.,... but... but I don't understand how..."

Zaheer said with a stunned look, while Ghazan whistled at the sight of their best friend looking like a lady from the storybooks, too the annoyance of Ming Hua...

"Thanks... I'm glad you like it... its been quit some time since I lasy worse this dress... last time had been when I was still with..."

P'li started, but then stopped, not wanting to say the name... and knowing her friends would understand either way,...she just knew that.

"We understand,,... so... how did you manage to get them to talk to us... and why **ARE **you wearing the dress? "

Ghazan asked now with a smile, since all of the red lotus members knew how scared P'li had been from warlord shong and didn't wanted to remind her by calling his name.

"wel... that... thats what I wanted to talk with you about,... i',m afraid I have bad news... but please don't get mad at me..."

P'li started her line with a sad look, the others looked at her with a sad look, understanding all full well were this conversation was heading now.

"whats the matter P'li... were listening"

Zaheer carefully said, wanting to go to his girlfriend to give her a hug, but the guards looked at him firmly as soon as he made a move to get up, so he stayed in his seat.

"well... I... **I HAVE DECIDED TO QUIT THE RED LOTUS!" **

She exclaimed after a moment of hesitation. zaheer immidiatly got up with a growl as well as Ghazan. Ming Hua was the only one that remained seated, looking at her friend with a confused look.

"But... But why... I don't understand... "

Ming spoke after a moment of deep silence. P'li looked at her with a smile before she turned to her parents, calling them to come closer.

"Everyone... these are my parents, Thina and Shao lee... and ofcourse... my younger half brother Hong Lee"

She smiled while she wrapped her arms around the waists of both of her parents. The remaining members of the red lotus looked at them with a confused look, before they started to launch...

**"OO, **I get it... this is a joke... phew... for a moment I thought you said..."

Zaheer launched, before he saw that his girlfriend was looking at him very seriously, which made him abruptly stop...

"what...You told me yourself they sold you to that... that **MONSTER... **how can you be sure that isn't gonna happen again now they found you.."

Zaheer asked with a tone of both sadness and worry about her well being, since she had been with him all this time... she had told him how dangerous Shong had been, and that her parents had just... sold her to that man... that... monster...

"well... I know for sure because... well... it turned out the people wjo sold me to shong were my adoptive parents... my real parents... well... I never met them before... thank goodness...

She smiled at her parents at the last part,

"Its true what she says... we never intended to leave her... but I got banished from Ba sing se, because her parents told the police I kipnapped Thina, which wasn't even **CLOSE** to the truth"

P'li's father now said, which made the group look at him curiously.

"Thina and I wanted to get married, we wanted to start a family together... but Thina's parents were from a rich family and as you can see... i'm just a combustion bender... the lowest of the lowest"

He said rasing the hair that was hanging over his forehead, showing the group the combustion tattoo on his own forehead, which was normally hidding by the hair on his forehead because he didn't wanted anyone to know he had these powers.

"so when thina's parents discovered we wanted to get married, they got really mad, they didn't wanted it to happen... so we ran away, thats why they banished me... but just before that happened... we got the happy news thina was 3 months pregnant..."

he said smiling at his wife who rubbed a beaming P'li over her hair.

"we were so happy about it... my parents weren't... they were furious... and there was nothing that could be done about it since it was too late to abort it..."

Thina said while she looked at her husband who smiled at P'li on his turn.

"Yeah...that was kinda amazing"

Shao lee smirked, which earned him a playfull smile of his wife.

"so... after 6 more months I brought life to a pretty baby girl with black hairs and orange eyes... I loved her the moment i layed eyes on her... but my parents said I would be married off to warlord Diego's son warlord shong soon... so I couldn't keep her... so... with a broken hearth... I left her for adoption..."

she said with a sad look. The red lotus members looked at each other with a sad look now, before Thina continued.

" 1 year later Hong was born, the son Diego always wanted, I was happy for them... but I longed for my daughter... and then... 5 years later... when I had started to give up hope on ever seeing her again... there she was... right on my doorstep... my precious little girl... she had grown up a bit... but I record-iced her eyes...his eyes..."

She said while she stroke P'li over her hair, placing a kiss on her forehead. P'li looked at her with tears in her eyes now as she knew what was coming next.

"P'li... as they had named her... was now my forced grooms property and was forced to do his bidding... I had nothing to say about her... but ofcourse... since I knew it was her... I tool every oppertunity to go to see her... and give her as match normal child things as I possibly could..."

She said smiling as she rubbed her daughter over her back, since P'li was quitly sobbing, remembering all the awfull times she had been threw back then, as well as the few happy moments she had thanks to miss Thina...

"But I had never imagined how cruel Shong had been to her,... when my little Hong told me... I was in shock... I wanted nothing more then to divorce from this monster... then take my daughter with me... as far away from shong as possible... but Shong knew P'li was my child and made sure he wouldn't lose **HIS** property... until you all came..."

She said finishing her story. Zaheer and Ghazan now exhanged a look, before zaheer looked at Ming Hua for a second, who shook her head sadly.

"so... how were you gonna escape then... I mean... there not gonna let you go unless you... tell them... anything..."

Zaheer said now, which made P'li blush.

"well...I... I kinda... already did..."

She said looking away from them, ashamed off having told them without getting their permission first.

"You did... **WHAT NOW?"**

Zaheer, who had just sat down again calmly, asked while he got out of his seat again, his eyes shooting fire at his girlfriend as he did so...

"P'li... please don't tell me you told them... everything..."

Ghazan asked now with a white face. P'li now looked him straight into the eye as she nodded.

I started with my backstory then went on with everything we have been threw toghether... as well as telling them about Unalaq's betrayel and everything I knew about... you know... our mission..."

P'li started, but just when she wanted to contiunue, Zaheer firmly slapped on the table, letting out a angry roar as he wanted to go to P'li, who took a few steps back, hiding behind her fathers back scared now, while he got in a defensive stance to protect her.

**"HOW DARE YOU! YOU BETRAYED US! AFTER ALL WE DID FOR YOU..."**

he raged while he tried to break free from the 2 guards that now held him back.

**"IT WAS MY ONLY OPTION ZAHEER... **I found my parents... come on... if yours would show up after 31 years of praying to the spirits they would come and get you like I did... you would have done thesame..."

P'li firmly said now, taking one step so she was next to her father, looking at her boyfriend with a firm look.

"I... Yes... I would... but its just... you did it... just like that... like... we don't mean anything to you anymore..."

Zaheer said now having calmed down a bit.

"I do still love you all... and you should know how match guilt I felt at first when I started my story... but after a while... while I learned that Hong was my half brother and that... that my **PARENTS... **hadn't left me on purpose... I knew this was the only way to get to them... I prayed you would understand... all of you... but I was mistaken... "

She finished her story, while she turned around and hugged her parents and half brother before she went to a corner of the room were the red lotus members saw a girl with long brown hair, standing invisably straight as a statue, observing them all..

"who is she?"

Zaheer now asked pointing to the mysterious woman in the corner. Femke now looked up shocked, since she had been spotted. Before she walked into the light, so the red lotus members could see the BD sign on her brown clothes.

"My name is Femke... i'm here to observe out of the name of the woodvillages..."

She said smiling as she took a step closer to the red lotus members now who took a step back, knowing what kind of reputation the BD members had...

"Femke is a friend...at first I thought she was coming to me out of the name of the white lotus... but she told me she was coming out of the bd's name... ofcourse the white lotus **DID **ask her to come... but she wasn't on **THEIR **side during the whole case... she even agreed to stay with me while I went illl...something the white lotus would **NEVER** have done for me..."

P'li said with a smile, while she and Femke hugged each other in a friendly way.

"yeah... they changed a **LOT **over the years... I heard that the white lotus was match more agreeable when Iroh, the dragon of the west was still around"

Femke comfirmed with a smile.

"Guys... please... this could be the end for **ALL **off us... we can start over together... a new life...i'm sure my parents wouldn't mind housing all of us..."

She said now, looking at her parents who smiled, nodding.

"your all welcome to stay with us... we have plenty of room form everyone of you..."

Thina smiled while she hugged her husband who nodded in agreement.. The red lotus members looked at each other for a moment now. They knew they could say yes now, they only have to give more details about the red lotus... desert the red lotus... then they would be free...

"No... i'm not gonna give up everything I'm standing for to live a life of luxery... if I had wanted that... I could have also stayed home..."

Zaheer said after a moment of hesitation.

"I wasn't rich like him... but i'm not ginna give up on the mission either"

Ghazan said with a firm look on Ming Hua who also nodded.

"Thats okay... you have to make your own choices... just know... know that our door will always be open... might you ever change your mind..."

Thina smiled while she gave P'li A kiss, then walked off with Shao and Hong...

"Guys... please... come with me... "

P'li pleaded, taking a step to her friends... but they all went of their heads, not wanting to have anything more to do with her now she decided to desert the red lotus...

"Zaheer... come on...at least tell me... this isn't the end... for us... right?"

She now asked with tears in her eyes. Zaheer now looked at her with tears in his eyes, before he nodded.

"i'm sorry P'li... but this... us... isn't gonna work out... not if you choose them over us all a sudden..."

the older man said bitterly while he turned himself around.

"zaheer... goodbye... hopefully... we will meet again one day..."

P'li said, before she grabbed Femke by her hand and left. Both did not see the other had tears in their eyes as they left. neither of them saw the regretts in their eyes... For p'li's desicion to desert the red lotus had put a rift between them that couldn't be crossed... do both hoped one day... there might be a bridge... and with that... a way back to one another...

And with that I end the next chapter of my story! I hope you will all like it ! I tried to make a seperate sequal, but no one cares to look at it, so I just put them together, don't hate me for doing so... 

**A/N**

I hope you all enjoyed the story and what I made of the breakup between P'li and zaheer, do I'm a big P'heer fan, I just knew that they couldn't possibly stay together since zaheer would put the mission first and P'li chose her family, but might get together later on

Okay... maybe I let zaheer overreact a little... but hey, wouldn't you be pissed if you sudenly hear your girlfriend just... betrayed you... just so she can be with her parents?

Zaheer isn't quoting Guru laghima this chapter... I know... he normally always does... but I couldn't come up with good quotes he could use during this chapter, so I made him just be pissed at her and... don't quote Guru laghima for once... besides... it kinda annoyed me during the series as well...

Well that was all! Thanks for reading and don't forget to

**REVIEUW!**


	9. Chapter 9: home at last

Chapter 1: home at last

a few months had passed since P'li had told the red lotus members she had deserted their clan to go home with her family at long last... in these months she had to stay in prison, but only because she had to be kept safe... while her parents made the needed arrangments to get their daughter home, since the news that the combustion woman had deserted from the red lotus clan spread fast... do no one knew why, and not everyone was happy about it. Their had been several red lotus members who had revealed themselves and treathened that the girl would be killed as soon as she would be allowed to leave her cell. this was why the family wanted to make sure everything was safe in and around Ba sing Se's highest ring were they would go to live, before they would get P'li with them.

But p'li wasn't lonely ore cold in her cell anymore. the combustion girl was well cared for and was allowed to leave her cell and explore the remainder of the base, as long as she stayed inside, were the guards were able to protect her when that was needed. And Femke and Hong lee were with her as welll, making sure she wasn't alone, playing with her, learning her how to read and write... as well as all the games a normal kid knew off... which made p'li as happy as a woman of her age could be... feeling safe and well cared for at long last... knowing that soon all her troubles would be over and she would be allowed to go and live with her parents... forever this time...

**P'li's POV **

4 months after I had deserted the red lotus, I was allowed to bid my old cell farewell forever, after that I was taken in a truck with my parents, wrapped in a warm blanket in the back with my half brother Hong lee, who I could truly call my little brother now... and my new best friend femke. I looked back at the base that the guards locked off and left as well, knowing they wouldn't have to come back here ever again...

_"Unless zaheer finds another combustion bender woman that if ofcourse..."_

I thought as I turned around and looked at the white lotus sign above the cell one last time, before I turned around and looked at my parents with a bright smile. Knowing that all my troubles would be over... from now on... everything would be as it should have been ages ago,...

_"do I wished my friends... zaheer and his friends... would be here to join me... they have been threw so match as well... they deserve a happily ever after as well..."_

I thought as my father started the motor of the car and headed off on the long journey to the earth kingdom capital city Ba sing se...

"so P'li, were on our way... how are you feeling?"

My father Shao lee asked with a big smile on my face as he reached back with one hand and patted me on my knee.

"excited... and scared... "

I admitted, since I knew that red lotus members had treatened to kill me, since they knew that I had betrayed them, most likely zaheers doing, since I knew he could contact other red lotus members threw the spirit world...

"Its okay baby, you don't have to be scared... we will be here to protect you..."

my mother said with a smile as she put a hand on my knee gently.

"how can you be so sure... they have agents everywhere on the world... I know... I met most of them...zaheer most likely told them what I did... and their mad at me... how can you be sure I will be okay in ba sing se..."

I asked thrembling with fear, suddnely realizing that I was putting my parents in grave danger by going with them as well, since they most likely wouldn't spare them ass well if they found out were I lived... since they were the ones that made me want to leave...

"Because we talked it over with the white lotus, and they asked the earth queen to put extra security up in the highest ring to make sure that no one would be able to kill you... believe me,,... were absolutely safe..."

My mother said as she rubbed me over my knee to comfort me.

"and I will be with you as well, and if they want you, they have to get through me as first..."

My half brother said with a smirk on his face.

"that counts for me as well... friends stand up for each other, no matter what happens"

Femke said with a stern look, as she made a first and held that before her face as a sign she meant what she said. I smiled and balted a fist as well, putting it against hers to seal the promise, hong did as well, and we smiled as we all nodded at each other with a grin. knowing that from this day on... the ones I loved the most would be with me to care and protect me...

-

a few days later, I stepped out of the car before the house of my parents... it was a big house with a wall around it, and a symbool of a polarbeardog on the front porch. I smiled as I looked at it with a smile as I hugged my brother and best friend to the side, who hugged her as well...

"Home sweet home..."

Hong Lee said as he let me in around my waist. I smiled at him now, ruffling his hair before I ran out before him into the garden launching...

**Normal POV **

"Kids..."

Thina smiled as she watched her 2 kids chase after each other smiling. P'li launching happily as she had never been allowed to as she ran threw the garden, almost bumping in some of the servants as she did.

"You can say that again... she reminds me of someone who was just like that at her age..."

Shao lee smirked teasingly as he hugged his wife, making kissy faces as her.

"**OO**... that wasn't me... who else did you go with?"

She asked teasingly as well now.

"No one... you should know by now your the one and only to me..."

The combustion man said with a teasing smile, as he put her in his arms and kissed her passionatly.

"I know,... just teasing..."

Thina said with a smirk as she patted him on his cheeck, then ran after the kids with a smile. on her face, as shao lee chased her.

_"Like parents like kids..."_

Femke thought smiling as she closed the doors of the gate behind her, then headed in before the rest did as well, all smiling since they were all together and home at long last...

And with that I end the first chapter of the sequel... I hope You all liked it! please let me know what you thought of it.

**A/N**

I figured that zaheer would be able to contact the remaining red lotus members and tell them that P'li deserted them, thats why I made a 4 months time skip between the last chapter of "the derserting red lotus" and the first chapter of the sequel...

P'li's behavior is more childish now, I know, I know... but come on... she had been abused all her life! I think she would be happy to let everybody know she was free and home at last... so she would act like the child she was never allowed to be... as a proof of this...

Femke will be playing a part in the sequel as well, so she will be staying with the lee family for a while, do she might somethimes just... dissapear for a bit to work for the woodvillages she came from...

that was alll, thanks for reading

**REVIEUW! **


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